Bermudians are being urged to give blood to make up for a shortfall due to laws preventing thousands of people donating.

Doctors say donors can make a difference between life and death by providing blood to help accident victims and patients recovering from serious operations.

However, people who have spent more than six months in the UK or Europe in the period 1980 to 1996 cannot give blood in Bermuda because of fears over the human form of BSE.

Partly as a result, numbers of donors on the Island have dropped from 3,000 to 2,000 in the past decade.

Dr. Betsie Lombard, of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital’s blood transfusion service, said: “There’s a lot of controversy over whether the law over BSE is necessary. Unfortunately we have to comply with the decision and we lost a lot of our donors.

“There are 60,000 people on the Island and only 2,000 people give blood. We would like many more people to come forward.

“If someone’s had a bad accident and needs a large transfusion it can take up most of our stock. We need to have a reserve to fall back on.

“Whenever you give blood, you can be sure it’s going to help somebody. You can’t operate without blood. You have to have a certain amount available if the patient is bleeding in any operation. In some operations you know there’s going to be a lot of blood lost. After accidents, if victims have lost blood the only way to get it back is through a transfusion.”

Dr. Lombard said the need for donors was particularly strong because the Island has to be self-sufficient.

“We collect all the blood we use on the Island ourselves,” she said. “We can’t import any because of the time and cost it would take.”

People who want to give blood visit the Red Cross blood donation clinic, where they are asked a series of questions to determine their suitability to donate.

A donor has his or her blood pressure measured and is then put on a bed where one pint of blood is taken.

There is usually a three-month break between donations, although people of certain blood types may be contacted in emergencies.

Dr. Lombard assured potential donors there was nothing in the process to worry about.

“A lot of it is apprehension for the unknown, but in the event most people do not feel woozy,” she said. “Afterwards we let people lie down to make sure they are all right. Preparation is very important. They need to drink plenty of water to make sure they are hydrated, and have a good meal.”

Dr. Lombard paid tribute to Red Cross volunteers, who she said have ensured the donating process runs as smoothly as possible.

Anyone who wants to give blood should call Fiona Barber at the Red Cross on 236-5067.