Service hours extended for blood donation appeal
************************************************

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

    The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) will extend the service hours of some blood donor centres from tomorrow (March 15) for peopleˇ¦s attention and immediate blood donations.  Due to a number of patients requiring large amount of blood for urgent treatment recently, blood stocks have dropped to a low level which can only maintain adequate supply for a few days.  The BTS now urgently appeals to people to donate blood immediately.  The BTS needs 1,500 donations daily - 500 type A, 400 type B and 600 type O - in the coming few days, to replenish blood stocks.

    Some blood donor centres will extend service hours for blood collection as follows:

Saturday (Marc h 15)
Mong Kok Blood Donor Centre: 10am-9.30pm
Causeway Bay Blood Donor Centre: 10am-7.30pm
Tsuen Wan Blood Donor Centre: 10am-7pm

Sunday (March 16)
Mong Kok Blood Donor Centre, Causeway Bay Blood Donor Centre,
Central District Blood Donor Centre, Tsuen Wan Blood Donor Centre and
Sha Tin Blood Donor Centre: 10am-8pm

March 17-20 (Monday-Thursday)
Causeway Bay Blood Donor Centre: noon-8pm
Tsuen Wan Blood Donor Centre: 11am-8pm

    Blood donors will be presented with a souvenir cup while stocks last.  For enquiries about blood donations and the service hours of other centres, the public can call the BTS hotline at 2710 1234 or visit our web-site at http://www.ha.org.hk/rcbts.

    A BTS spokesman said every minute counted in saving lives and many patients were waiting for donors who were blood type A, type B or type O to act immediately.

Ends/Friday, March 14, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:06

NNNN