The Mobile Blood Donation Unit has been out of service for three months because of an “indisposed” driver, who should be able to return to work in the coming days.
In the meantime, the mobile team collected 122 fewer donations between January and mid-April, compared to last year.
However, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Centre Alex Aquilina told this newspaper there has been “no significant change” in the total number of donations.
Dr Aquilina was contacted following concerns raised by Times of Malta readers about the disappearance of the mobile unit from public spots. He said the mobile unit was currently out of service because the driver was indisposed but expected to return to work shortly.
Asked to clarify “shortly”, he said: “we are expecting the driver to have a medical assessment in the coming days, and decisions will be made accordingly. The mobile unit has not been in use for the last three months.”
According to data that Dr Aquilina provided, there were 3,488 whole blood donations at the National Blood Trans-fusion Service in Guardamangia between January 1 and April 10 of 2016, and the same number was recorded for 2017.
The Gozo General Hospital, meanwhile, saw 415 donations during the same period in 2016 and 482 in 2017, an increase of 67.
However, the mobile team, which collects blood through what are known as ‘remote sessions’, saw 122 fewer whole blood donations – from 750 to 628.
This brought the total of whole blood donations down from 4,653 to 4,598 – a decrease of 55. Dr Aquilina said: “There is no significant change in the number of donations from the corresponding period last year.”
At the blood service, he added, decisions were taken following a risk assessment and an option appraisal.
In cases where the mobile unit is not available for use, alternative blood donation activities are held, including remote sessions in facilities such as hotels, banks and factories.
The sites are first assessed and qualified by NBTS as fit for purpose, he said.
NBTS, Dr Aquilina explained, had contingency plans to cover the absence of the mobile unit, which happened from time to time. This was evident in the data provided, which show “almost the same” number of donors calling in, also considering that the year started off with a “very good blood stock”.
“It is worth noting that though the unit definitely helps, it is not critical to blood collection.
“It is probably more usefulfor exposure and visibility,” Dr Aquilina said.