Friends of the Blood Bank not closed for good

Head of the Friends of the Blood Bank Association Alfred Bell said while the group has ceased operations, it has not yet been decided if that will be a permanent step.

The association has suspended all its activities because funds are low.

Duane Gonzalez, operations manager of the association, had posted on Facebook on Monday that all operations had ceased permanently.

However, Bell said, "I don't think that he was authorised to make that statement at all.

"We certainly have suspended operations, because we don't have the kind of funding that is necessary to carry us through and pay all the staff.

"The board is right now looking at the different options that are available to us to be able to figure out what is the next step. We haven't exactly made the decision to cease operations. That would be the very, very last thing to do."

He said there were several different options, and ceasing operations has not been confirmed.

Bell said he had already asked Gonzalez to remove the Facebook post.

Bell said if the association were shut down permanently, it would have a significant effect on the blood bank. He said its primary objective was to help the National Blood Transfusion Service.