16/04/2002

Minister welcomes the world’s largest 'BloodMobile'

The Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Bairbre de Brún, has welcomed the launch of a BloodMobile – a new purpose built mobile blood donation unit.

Costing more than £170,000 the new state of the art BloodMobile contains reception, waiting, interview, and blood donation areas as well as donor refreshment, and rest rooms.

The first blood donation session on board the new unit, which is the largest in the world according to Charles Kinney of the Blood Transfusion Service, took place at Nortel in Newtownabbey on Tuesday, April 16.

The Minister said: “This new state of the art BloodMobile will provide easier access and better facilities for donors. A high level of blood donation is a vital component of our Health Service.”

Praising the many people who donate blood in Northern Ireland the Minister said: “We all owe tremendous gratitude to the thousands of selfless people who already give blood. With the launch of this mobile blood donation unit, I have high hopes that even more people will decide to give blood and we will soon see a marked increase in the number of people donating blood every year.”

Charles Kinney of the Blood Transfusion Service said: “This unit, with its expanding donation area of 500 square feet, is the most modern, and biggest-known of its type in the world. We have spent seven years researching, designing and planning the BloodMobile, which will facilitate access to a whole new pool of donors here. Having the ability to go to smaller towns and workplace sessions will be a tremendous boost to this vital service.”

(AMcE)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

20 July 2001
MOBILE UNIT SET TO IMPROVE BLOOD DONATION SERVICE
MINISTER for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Bairbre de Brún has announced the allocation of funds for a new Mobile Donation Unit for the Blood Transfusion Service in Northern Ireland.
14 June 2022
Call For Blood Donations Following Decline In Donors
Health Minister Robin Swann has urged people to come forward for blood donations, backing a call from the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service. The Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service's (NIBTS) appeal coincides with World Blood Donor Day and follows a decline in the number of new people giving blood.
29 February 2024
Education Minister Committed To Transforming SEN System
Northern Ireland needs a system that consistently delivers for children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN), Education Minister Paul Givan has said as he reaffirmed his commitment to transform the existing SEN system in.
02 May 2024
PSNI Welcomes 'Positive' Crime Data Inspection Report
PSNI Assistant Chief Officer, Aldrina Magwood, has welcomed the positive findings of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report. HMICFRS has published its review of its inspection of crime data integrity of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
28 November 2002
Patients warned after blood donor's CJD diagnosis
There are concerns that a small number of haemophiliacs in Northern Ireland and Scotland may have received blood products from a donor who later was diagnosed with variant Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (vCJD). Health agencies in Scotland have written to patients warning them that they may have been given treatments derived from the donor's blood.