First BOV Blood Drive for 2018

BOV employees kept their appointment with the National Blood Transfusion Unit this year, as they participated in the first BOV Blood Drive organised this year.

Reporting at the end of the afternoon, Mr Charles Azzopardi, Executive PR & Marketing at Bank of Valletta said that 38 bags of blood had been donated during this four-hour session. “These events have become recurrent appointments in our calendar of events, and it gives us great satisfaction to see our people roll up their sleeves and rally their support towards such initiatives time after time.”

Due to the unavailability of the mobile unit, this BOV Blood Drive was organised within BOV Centre itself. Staff from the National Blood Transfusion Unit called at BOV Centre early in the morning, and got organised within the Bank’s Conference Centre that was transformed into a blood donation hub for the day. “Staff are invited to participate weeks in advance,” explained Mr Azzopardi, “We use our internal communications to provide our people with all the necessary information ahead of the event. A schedule is set up to ensure that the event runs smoothly, with minimum disruption.”

In a reaction, Mr Tony Micallef, Donor Liaison Nurse at the National Blood Transfusion Centre said, “Blood is arguable the greatest gift one can give. It is a selfless act, but every donation can save up to three lives. Often, as in present times, we face severe shortage in the supply of blood so much so that scheduled operations might be jeopardised. We therefore urge other companies to take up similar initiatives to encourage more people to come forward and become donors.”

Anyone interested in making a blood donation may contact the National Blood Transfusion Unit in Pietà between 08.00 am and 06.00 pm or call on Free Phone 8007 4313.