An appeal for the public to save lives this Christmas by giving blood in the coming weeks was made yesterday by the Blood Transfusion Service Board.
The National Donor Services Manager for the BTSB, Mr Tim O'Connell, said: "Christmas is a particularly important time both for us and for hospitals. Illness is no respecter of the festive season. The blood given by donors all over the country will save lives. The people who need blood will get no more valuable present this Christmas."
He appealed for existing donors and people who have never given blood before to make a special effort for Christmas. The unfortunate accidents that seemed inevitably to occur over the holidays placed a strain on the blood supply, he said.
Additional clinics will be held in Pelican House, Mespil Road, Dublin, on Friday, December 11th and Friday, December 18th from 9.30 a.m. to 4.15 p.m. The donor clinic will be open as normal from Monday to Friday, closing on December 23rd until the 29th. The centre in St Finbarr's Hospital, Cork, will also maintain its normal schedule until Thursday, December 24th, when its clinic will be open from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
Mobile clinics will also be held throughout the State and these will be advertised in local and national media.