HUGE RESPONSE TO APPEAL FOR BLOOD DONORS
Huge response to appeal for blood donors
THE APPEAL by the blood transfusion services for people to donate blood in the wake of the Omagh bombing, received a great response.
Such was the interest shown by a community - who felt it wanted to do something practical to help the people who were injured - that the service which was located at the Christian Brothers school for three days, was inundated.
People queued for hours to give blood, so much so that the blood donated alone in the town was enough to treat all the victims of the bomb.
Blood transfusion staff at the CBS said 600 units of blood were needed to treat the injured, and this target was met by local people alone.
Reaching a new record for the blood transfusion organisation in Northern Ireland, on the opening of the provisional centre in Omagh, 590 people turned up and due to the large number, only 330 could be processed, which is the highest number of blood donations made in any one given day since its inception.
Despite this, more blood is still required, and medics have reiterated their call for donors to come forward over the next few weeks to replenish blood supplies.
Regular donors are not eligible for 16 weeks after donating blood so supplies will be seriously weakened unless new donors are found.
Consultant haematologist, Dr Mary Ryan, of Altnagelvin Hospital said "Those who donated blood in the past eight weeks saved lives in the past few days."
"None of these people were to know just how important their blood donations would be."
"We are grateful to these donors and the many who have come forward following Saturday's tragedy, hopefully they too will save lives" she added.
THE APPEAL by the blood transfusion services for people to donate blood in the wake of the Omagh bombing, received a great response.
Such was the interest shown by a community - who felt it wanted to do something practical to help the people who were injured - that the service which was located at the Christian Brothers school for three days, was inundated.
People queued for hours to give blood, so much so that the blood donated alone in the town was enough to treat all the victims of the bomb.
Blood transfusion staff at the CBS said 600 units of blood were needed to treat the injured, and this target was met by local people alone.
Reaching a new record for the blood transfusion organisation in Northern Ireland, on the opening of the provisional centre in Omagh, 590 people turned up and due to the large number, only 330 could be processed, which is the highest number of blood donations made in any one given day since its inception.
Despite this, more blood is still required, and medics have reiterated their call for donors to come forward over the next few weeks to replenish blood supplies.
Regular donors are not eligible for 16 weeks after donating blood so supplies will be seriously weakened unless new donors are found.
Consultant haematologist, Dr Mary Ryan, of Altnagelvin Hospital said "Those who donated blood in the past eight weeks saved lives in the past few days."
"None of these people were to know just how important their blood donations would be."
"We are grateful to these donors and the many who have come forward following Saturday's tragedy, hopefully they too will save lives" she added.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/0115
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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