Supplies of Blood Needed

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 99, 28 April 1941, Page 6

Supplies of Blood Needed

MINISTER'S APPEAL Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 24. *‘A very valuable national service can be rendered by citizens willing in an emergency to donate supplies of blood for transfusion purposes,” said the Minister of National Service, Mr R. Semple. The experience of air-raid casualties in England had shown how essential it was that adequae facilities for blood transfusions should be available when required, continued Mr Semple. It was considered that the present lists of voluntary donors throughout the Dominion would have to be enlarged considerably id meet possible needs. An important part of the service was the building up of supplies in advance, for which purpose it was necessary to have regular donors. Mr Semple appealed to all citizens who were in good health to offer themselves as voluntary donors to the existing blood transfusion services. Certain regular donars might, from the nature of their duties, or for other reasons, be unavailable in an emergency. This applied specially to women and Home Guardsmen. It was therefore suggested that members of the Emergency Precautions Scheme could make a particularly patriotic contribution by offering their service, now, so that they will be available whenever required. Mr Semple asked those willing to submit to the temporary inconvenience of a blood transfusion, which might be ■ the means of saving the lives of others, to send their names and addresses to local public hospitals or local branches of the Blood Transfusion Counci!. He was assured by competent authorities that donations of blood, carefully regulated as they are. result in no impairment of the donor's health: on tho contrary, they are frequently beneficial.