The Blood Donation Services have made an urgent appeal for groups A and O blood because reserves are so low that surgical operations risk being halted.

"There are no blood resources to respond to accidents or an emergency, while patients who need blood transfusion as part of their treatment have to wait until the situation improves," Angelo Degiorgio, blood donation services manager, said.

He said he could not overstate the fact that blood does not have a substitute and is not a commodity that can be purchased.

So far everyone who needed blood had found it but he made a strong appeal not to allow the present situation to be prolonged lest blood would not be found when it was required for operations and emergencies.

He said the blood bank has 25 bags of O-type blood in reserve when in normal circumstances 200 bags are required to put minds at rest that the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) would be able to cope with operations and emergencies involving patients with that blood type.

Appeals for blood tend to work because every time such appeals are made there is an encouraging response from donors.

The NBTS is situated near St Luke's Hospital in Guardamangia and is open daily from Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., including public holidays.

In Gozo, the blood transfusion centre opens from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

Donors aged up to 60 can donate blood while teenagers aged between 17 and 18 need the consent of their parents. Donors must show their identity card.