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)