Communications and entertainment provider GO as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the community, recently organised a blood donation event for its employees. The blood donation session was held jointly with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) with the scope of raising awareness on the importance of donating blood regularly to save lives and help to meet the continued need for blood in hospitals.
The general response to the most recent blood donation drive at GO was very encouraging and the turn-out was excellent. On the day of the blood donation session, GO’s Head Office in Marsa was buzzing with action and a good number of generous members of its staff supported this noble cause to ‘give blood and give life.’ On the day scheduled for the blood drive, the volunteers were called in small groups to leave their place of work for a short time and make for the Mobile Blood Donation Unit conveniently stationed in the vicinity of GO’s head office.
Congratulating employees for making the event a success, Michelle Bonnici, Chief HR Officer at GO, said: “I take this opportunity to thank GO employees for coming forward and showing their responsibility towards society yet again. I also extend my gratitude to the people involved in ensuring that our health system has adequate blood supplies. At the same time, I thank all blood donors and encourage more people to donate blood – so appropriately termed ‘The gift of life.’
“We consider the initiative an important part of our corporate social responsibility programme especially since the National Blood Transfusion Service plays such a vital role in the wellbeing and health of our community,” she went on.
GO’s support of the NBTS dates back several years as the company always encouraged blood donation by its employees and often took the initiative of organising blood donation sessions to help address the shortage of blood supplies on a national scale. GO’s ongoing collaboration with the NBTS peaked some years back with its part sponsorship of the refurbishment of the Mobile Blood Donation Unit.
The Mobile Blood Donation Unit boasts a range of facilities powered by the latest technology including real-time access to the donor database for safer blood donation, a high-tech pre-donation testing area and a 4-person bleeding theatre. GO provides the unit with a number of GO services including wireless internet to help the unit’s personnel to connect while on the move and GO DTTV services enabling blood donors to relax while they are there.
The medical team of the NBTS Mobile Blood Donation Unit who monitored the blood donation process thanked GO for its ongoing support and said they hoped other large locally-based companies would follow suit. The team said that a large number of people depended on the continued generosity of others who are healthy and pointed out that blood may be the difference between life and death for the sick person in dire need of transfusion.