Blood bank needs more than 400 donors

She said the blood was needed to meet the demand from government and private hospitals which required about 3,000 units (1 unit equals about 0.5 litre) of blood a week.

"All blood types, A, B, O and AB, are needed," she said.

Dr Roshida said each donation could help save three lives and that the donated blood had a limited life expectancy of up to 42 days for red blood, five days for platelets and between two and three years for frozen plasma.