Qld: Positive response to blood bank

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2000
Qld: Positive response to blood bank

EDS: Changes locations cited in earlier story)

BRISBANE, April 22 AAP - The Red Cross Blood Bank in Queensland has received a positive
response to its first Easter Saturday opening.

Blood bank spokeswoman Bet Gaunt said donations at the service's mobile vans in Brisbane
were going well.

"Now all we have to do is keep it up until 3pm," she said.

The extended Easter break had raised fears that patients could be at risk because of
limited blood stocks.

The five-day holiday, closely followed by the May Day holiday, has forced the blood
bank to open on Easter Saturday for the first time due to the five-day shelf life of blood
platelets.

"We've got to have blood products available for accident victims, emergency surgery
and patients with life-threatening conditions such as leukaemia, which doesn't stop just
because it's Easter," Ms Gaunt said.

"You tend to get more people with burns, from family barbecues and so on, over holiday breaks."

The blood bank was seeking all types of blood, she said.

The mobile blood collection vans were at Westfield Strathpine, Hungry Jacks at Mt Ommaney,
Fairfield Gardens and Coles Beenleigh until 3pm.

The permanent city site, at 380 Queen Street, was also open but the Mt Gravatt and
Strathpine permanent sites were closed today.

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KEYWORD: BLOOD (CARRIED EARLIER)

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