29 September 2013
Around 125,000 units of blood are collected each year from around 1.76 million Kiwis and 27 litres of this year’s collection will have come from people who work in and around Auckland Airport.
This is as a result of last month’s mobile blood bank visit. The team of eight nurses turned up on September 9 and set up eight beds in the Watea Room at the international terminal building. The drive attracted 54 people who each donated 500ml of their blood.
Pam Heares, the airport’s administration assistant aeronautical operations, helped organise the blood drive and says the intention is to repeat it in the new year and then make it a regular occurrence.
In the meantime, New Zealand Blood Services need 3000 donations every week in order to meet hospital needs, so if you’d like to give blood head to www.nzblood.co.nz to find out how.