Monday, March 26, 1973
APPEAL FOR MORE BLOOD DONATIONS
Dr. Choa Pinpoints Importance Of Blood Bank
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The Director of Medical and Health Services, Dr. G.H. Choa, today
appealed to the public for more donations of blood to enable the British
Red Cross to maintain a transfusion service for Hong Kong.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the new Blood Collection
Centre in the Ocean Terminal.
bank
it.
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He said he was sure the public realised the importance of a blood
but such a bank needed blood to stock, and only the public could provide
He repeated this message: "The Red Cross does not ask for a donation,
It only asks for a pint of blood. The few minutes you spend donating blood may
save the life of a fellow human being. Also, the life you save may be your own. il
Dr. Choa described the burden falling on the Red Cross as "heavy", and
it was only by "sheer hard work and dedication" that it had been able to maintain
a transfusion service for Hong Kong. But there were still difficulties and
shortfalls.
He referred to 1972 as "a successful year" for two reasons. A total
of 35,973 pints had been collected, as against 29,230 pints the year before, or an
increase of 23 per cent. Also, local residents had constituted more than 72
per cent of donors, compared with 56 per cent in 1971.
"Our aim is not only to keep a supply of blood, but an ample supply to
meet all requests, so as to stop once and for all people having to buy, or sell,
blood," he said.
He firmly believed that if more people knew about the transfusion service,
the Red Cross would get more donors.
Before leaving the new premises, Dr. Choa donated a pint of blood,
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