The €2.5 million blood bank project and new transfusion centre in Attard is on schedule and the authorities are now waiting for the development permit to be approved.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Joe Cassar said the new blood bank will be built close to Mount Carmel Hospital. According to EU regulations, the project has to be ready by the end of next year.

He was speaking at the handing over of the newly refurbished mobile unit for blood donations, which cost €162,790 and was partly sponsored by the Go Group. Dr Cassar said the project is waiting for the planning permit from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. A call for tenders will then be issued.

Delving into the number of blood donations, Dr Cassar said around 15,000 people donated blood last year - an increase of over 1,660 from 2007.

Even though the mobile unit was not functional, last year 206 blood drives were organised in which 3,124 units of blood were collected - an increase of 685 units from 2007.

Dr Cassar said the new mobile unit is ready to visit towns and villages to continue collecting blood to save people's lives.

Alex Aquilina, medical director of the National Blood Transfusion Service, thanked the public for their immediate response to the blood bank's urgent appeal for blood.

Last week, the blood bank issued a statement saying that its supply was very low and called on people to donate.

Dr Aquilina said the response was very positive.