Blood cannot be manufactured, which is why blood donors are so important when it comes to saving lives. This is why more donors are needed and those who have already been registered as such should donate their blood on a regular basis.

Speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday, Malta Blood Donors Association (MBDA) general secretary Philip M Chircop said there are times when a sufficient number of blood bags are not available.

“Those who suffer from thalassemia, leukaemia and other blood-related illnesses need blood transfusions frequently.

“Apart from this, whenever there is a bad accident a blood transfusion would be needed immediately. Last year, a patient in Gozo was involved in a terrible accident and needed 120 bags of blood.”

According to recent statistics released by the National Blood Transfusion Centre, the total number of blood donations in 2006 was 14,413, with 5977 male donors and 3578 female donors. The highest number of blood group collected was A+ while the lowest was AB-.

The MBDA is a non-profit organisation that was established in 1988 and is run by voluntary workers.

“Our aim is to promote regular blood donations and encourage current donors to give blood more than once a year.”

“Each person would probably fill around 3.5 bottles of blood each time. Men can donate once every three months and women once every four.”

“Each time there is an advert in the paper asking people to donate blood, the Blood Transfusion centre receives around 100 callers or more at the same time.

“Very recently, the paramedics and the staff at the Blood Transfusion Unit had to remain open until midnight as they couldn’t cope with the number of donors because a large number of people all went to donate blood at the same time.

“This ends up being counterproductive as people have to wait, which is a waste of time. Another fact that has to be taken into consideration is that blood has a shelf life; therefore, if this blood supply isn’t used these bags end up being thrown away.

“We came up with a solution for this not to happen. We are setting up blood drive units with the help of the paramedics at the Blood Transfusion Centre. We visit several workplaces where employees who are eligible to donate blood can do so.”

“We also set up a refreshment area for those donors to provide nourishment after giving blood.”

Mr Chircop also said that a number of workers or employers can contact the MBDA and the Blood Transfusion Centre to have a blood drive unit set up at the workplace and have the workers donate blood.

Every person who would like to donate blood has to first fill a questionnaire and then be checked over by a doctor. The number of donors is always restricted as there are many donors who are deferred.

People with body piercing and tattoos done in the last six months are told that they have to wait for a period of time before they can donate blood.

Other deferred donors include those who have just arrived from exotic continents like Asia as they might have contacted some rare blood disease without actually knowing.

Then there are those who have lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 at the time of the Mad Cow disease.

The Malta Independent on Sunday asked Mr Chircop about this restricted number of donors and why donating blood is advertised and promoted so frequently when so many restrictions are in place.

“When we carry out campaigns for first-time donors, it means that there is a blood crisis and that the supply is not meeting the demand.”

So what kind of measures is the MBDA taking to ensure that there are less deferred donors and more people are eligible to donate blood?

“As an NGO we would like to have more human and financial resources to educate future donors and create more awareness of what these future adults can do to donate more blood, like for example not having a tattoo or a body piercing done.”

Youths and schoolchildren should not only be educated to become donors but also how to prevent self-inflicted illnesses and look after their health for them not to receive blood when they grow up. Dieticians, social workers and educators should all contribute to help future generation live a healthier life.

“We would also like to introduce a system to encourage more young people to donate blood, so that even though they might not be eligible to donate blood themselves, they could perhaps know somebody else who might be eligible.

“People also have to keep in mind that those eligible to donate blood must be between the ages of 18 and 61. Those 17-year olds who would like to donate blood can do so as long as they can produce their parents’ letter of consent.”

Another way to promote blood donations was the setting up of Club 25, which was first introduced in Zimbabwe and then set up in other places where the level of blood donations is very low due to the high percentage of HIV and AIDS. The club was established to promote blood donations revolving around the number 25.

Mr Chircop said that this was mainly set up to encourage young people either to find 25 donors, who were all 25 years old or under, or people who can donate 25 times regardless of their age.

Club 25 could also be an extended project for the scouts, as for example, ‘the Bob a Job week’, where the scouts would be educated on what donating blood really means.

“There are also cases when healthy pensioners over the age of 61 who have been donating blood for years, are given permission to keep on donating.”

Unfortunately, with the opening of Mater Dei more blood is needed now than ever as the number of operations has tripled that of St Luke’s, Mr Chircop said.

“I would also like to inform the general public that the association needs a group of volunteers to promote the campaign; those over 61 who have time on their hands can gather a number of donors.”

World Blood Donors Day is celebrated on 14 June to create more awareness and to thank blood donors.

The Blood Transfusion Centre is open from Monday to Sunday from 8am to 6pm.

To contact the centre call 7930 7307.

To contact the MBDA send an e-mail to [email protected] or call Mr Chircop on 9920 7043.