More opportunities to donate in Central North Island

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is excited to launch an additional mobile blood drive team to service Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, and Franklin area’s that will more than double the opportunities to donate and the frequency of visits by the Service in these areas.

“We are thrilled to be adding additional mobile blood drives to these regions.  We know the need for blood and plasma are constant, and demand in New Zealand for these lifesaving products will keep growing.  With the additional mobile blood drives we have the opportunity to recruit more people to join our amazing donor community,” says Doug Gallagher, Director of Donor Services – New Zealand Blood Service. “Across New Zealand nearly 50% of all whole blood donations are donated via a mobile blood drive. It is a safe and easy way to collect blood in many parts of the country.”  

The additional mobile blood drive team, which is based out of the NZBS’s Hamilton Donor Centre, will be part of a service that visits key areas across the central North Island. The mobile drive will be visiting New Plymouth, Napier, Rotorua, and Pukekohe each on a monthly basis. All of these locations have been carefully chosen based on logistical, resource, and population factors, including current donor numbers and potential future growth in the areas.

Donors in these areas, existing and new, will have more appointment options, making it easier for them to donate regularly. With over 30,000 Kiwis needing lifesaving blood, plasma, and platelets each year, every donation counts.

Selecting the ideal region to add additional mobile blood drives has not been an easy one. As Doug explains, “while we would like to visit as many towns in New Zealand as possible, the reality is there are a lot of factors to consider to make these mobile blood drives viable. We need to know that the areas we choose can support a monthly blood drive and we also need to consider how we can efficiently get the blood collected back to one of our processing laboratories.”

NZBS needs to collect over 4,000 donations every week nationally, however less than 4% of the  eligible adult population currently donate. By adding four additional regular blood drives to the central North Island region, donors in the area will be able to donate more regularly, and there will be  additional opportunities for new donors to join the blood donation community.

One blood donation can be separated into three components for transfusion–red blood cells, plasma and platelets– which can save up to three lives.

To become a donor or make a booking, visit www.nzblood.co.nz, download the NZ Blood App, or call 0800 448 325.