SHORTAGE of Blood at NBTS; willing donors urged to come forward

COLOMBO (News 1st): There is a shortage of blood stocks at the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) in Narahenpita, given the prevailing COVID-19 high-risk situation and restrictions on movement imposed by health authorities in certain parts of the island, the Chairman of the NTBS said. The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) is facing a challenge to collect adequate stocks of blood to maintain the services throughout the country, Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service told News 1st on Saturday (May 08). "At this particular moment of time, our earnest request to the willing donors is to come forward, and help the system to keep our services uninterrupted; in order to help the patients who are in need of blood throughout the country," Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe stressed.  Accordingly, the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has introduced two (02) hotlines for the convenience of interested donors to place appointments to donate blood. The hotlines are:

011 5 332 153 / 011 5 332 154

and interested donors can also visit,

www.nbts.health.gov.lk

to obtain more information. "Anybody who is willing to donate blood can contact our blood centre through the hotlines and the website. The person who contacts can obtain a pre-booked appointment at any of the centres of the NTBS. They can then freely walk into those centres and donate blood without any hassle," Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service elaborated on the process of donation. There are 106 Blood Banks of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) located across the country; all these blood banks are open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. The National Blood Transfusion Centre at Narahenpita is open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. [playlist tracklist="false" ids="567491"]