THE Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service is responsible for the collection, testing and distribution of over 55,000 blood donations each year and operates three mobile units at nearly 180 locations throughout the province.
Karin Jackson, Chief Executive of the NI Blood Transfusion Service spoke to the Herald about the importance of blood donation and how you can get involved.
“I would encourage everybody who is eligible to donate. If anybody is keen to donate if they go onto our website at nibts.org to view where all of our donation sessions are going and we try to spread the sessions out as best as we can throughout Northern Ireland.
“We have a base in Omagh and try to get here to Fermanagh every couple of months. For us certainly what we need is abut 150 people to turn out to our sessions to make them viable and more efficient, so anybody who is eligible to donate or who are thinking about donating before we would be more than happy to see you.”
While the lives of transfusion recipients are changed by the generosity of blood donors everyday, Ms Jackson “Every donation that is given has the potential to save three lives whether that’s in terms of red cells, platelets or plasma.
“Most of the patients who receive transfusions are predominantly cancer patients young and old with leukaemia and newborn babies who are very sick and unfortunately those are who have been involved in traumatic injuries.
“Blood transfusion literally saves lives and there are many examples of people who are walking around today who wouldn’t be only for this essential and life-saving service.”
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