The long-mooted plans for a new blood bank are gaining ground, and a decision on its location is expected soon, Alex Aquilina, the National Blood Transfusion Services medical director, told The Malta Independent.
Dr Aquilina pointed out that the blood donation centre situated close to St Luke’s Hospital, which was inaugurated in May 2007, will remain the main donation centre.
What is being proposed, however, is a blood bank which will serve as a testing, processing and distribution centre.
“The building of the new establishment to replace the existing one, which is also located in St Luke’s Square, will allow us to finally boast of providing a high-quality service. Nevertheless, the new establishment will only function if properly managed and utilised.
“The blood donation centre will remain in St Luke’s Square since there is no need for a new blood donation centre.
“What is required and planned is a new facility for processing, testing and distributing blood and blood products. The current premises are old and were not built to function as a modern blood establishment.
“Under the legislation and relevant EU directives, there is a necessity to invest in a new blood establishment.
“There is a limit on how much upgrading the current premises can undergo. At the moment, as a stop-gap solution, the premises are being refurbished so as to allow the blood bank to function appropriately until a new building is constructed, which will hopefully materialise next year, and to continue ensuring a continuous supply of safe blood and blood products,” said Dr Aquilina.
In an interview which he had given to this newspaper earlier this year, Dr Aquilina stressed that the location of the new blood bank “is not that important as long it is in a clean and accessible area”.
“The National Blood Transfusion Service collects and distributes blood from and to the Gozo General Hospital, so local hospitals are not a problem. Obviously we have fully validated our transport system in all weather conditions so that we can ensure the quality of the product right up to the time it arrives at the hospital bank. Then it is up to the hospital blood bank and authorities to store or use the blood appropriately,” he said.