Blood bank needs more than 400 donors

The National Blood Centre needs blood from 400 to 450 donors daily to meet the demand in the Klang Valley, its director, Dr Roshida Hassan said today.

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.

She said individuals interested in donating blood on Christmas Day could do so at the centre from 8 am to 4 pm, or visit www.pdn.gov.my to obtain information on its mobile blood donation campaign.