NZ Blood is once again bringing its mobile blood drive unit to Frankton’s St Margaret’s Church, from Tuesday till Thursday, 10am-2pm.
Southern donor relations team leader Boyd Warren says blood donated in the Whakatipu mostly goes to blood banks and hospitals in the South Island — it is used to help with anything from cancer treatment to emergency surgeries.
"One unit of whole blood donated could help up to three people in need, but matching supply with demand is a delicate balance — that’s why having a steady, reliable pool of donors who are willing to help out when we need it is incredibly important."
Blood drives in Queenstown are currently only able to happen twice a year, due to logistics and resources.
Warren: "It can be quite challenging getting our team of 10 staff and their equipment safely to and from each region — Queenstown has some limitations around accommodation and travel during peak tourist season.
"Additionally, getting the donated blood back to Christchurch for processing twice each day within the required freshness timeframes adds another layer of complexity."
But the Southern Lakes’ support is magnificent — next week’s blood drive’s already fully booked, though there will be some walk-in space available, and keen donors can check the NZ Blood website closer to the time for any cancellations.
Warren notes the last time the blood drive came to Queenstown, it received 257 donations.
That’s "tremendous", given they aim to collect 220 donations in a three-day visit.
The next blood drive’s happening here from November 4 to 6.
