The Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) has announced that the King Edward Hospital has a new platelet collection machine that reduces the amount of time it takes to donate platelets and red cells from two hours or more to less than an hour.

The machine, located in the Red Cross Donor Centre at the hospital, collects platelets and red cells needed by patients for a variety of reasons that include chemotherapy, surgery or anaemia.

Staff training on the new machine took place at the end of November and the first donor used the machine on November 30.

Dr. Betsie Lombard, medial director of the blood transfusion service and consultant haematologist, said: "This machine drastically reduces the amount of time it takes to donate platelets and red cells.

"It means people can now donate over their lunch hour. We need two platelet collections a week to cope with demand, so regular collections and a pool of donors are essential.

"The experience for donors is vastly improved and the quality of platelets from the machine is extremely high, benefiting patients across the hospital."

The $80,000 piece of equipment was jointly purchased by the Bermuda Red Cross and BHB.

Anyone interested in donating platelets, red cells or blood, should contact Fiona Barber at the Red Cross Donor Centre at 236-5067.