WELLINGTON: New Zealanders have been urged to donate blood over the summer break, as all blood types are needed, especially A positive.
“As one of the most common blood types in New Zealand, we always experience high demand for A positive blood and that looks set to continue over the coming months,” Xinhua quoted New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) national marketing and communications manager Asuka Burge as saying on Monday.
Special call has been made for those who are A positive to roll up their sleeve and donate blood in the lead-up to the Christmas period.
The NZBS has more than 32,000 appointments to be filled between now and the end of January to meet demand over the holiday season, Burge said.
Last year, 55,323 units of blood, plasma and platelets were issued to patients across New Zealand between December and end of January, she said, adding that the service is forecasting a 4-per cent increase over the same period this holiday season.
“An hour spent giving blood or plasma can mean the difference between life and death for someone else just a few days later,” Burge said, adding that 10 donor centres and more than 170 NZBS mobile drives across the country will be operated between now and the end of January. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
