While Launceston boasts almost 2000 regular blood donors, according to City of Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood, the city still lags behind comparable population centres in Tasmania.
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In an effort to boost these numbers, Launcestonians are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and donate blood and plasma ahead of a blood drive push from the Australian Red Cross.
Launceston Lifeblood Donor Centre manager Dylan Visser said donation centres were crucial to the nation's medical system.
![Donor Alison Flood and registered nurse Jenna Sommerville at the Launceston Lifeblood Donation Centre. Picture Rod Thompson Donor Alison Flood and registered nurse Jenna Sommerville at the Launceston Lifeblood Donation Centre. Picture Rod Thompson](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/184500760/0cb44bdc-f7ba-4fad-8aa4-4bedfb0c5e4d.jpg/r0_0_5184_3888_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We're the only collectors of blood and blood products in Australia, so it's really vital that we have people attending our centres nationwide and donating plasma and whole blood as as much as they can," Mr Visser said.
He said both blood and plasma were used differently for a variety of reasons.
"Our red cells and blood from blood donations can be used in surgery and road trauma, while plasma can be used to create different types of medications to help those potentially with cancer or clotting disorders," he said.
"We have the capacity to take about 1800 donations per month so there's always appointments available."
For those who aren't fans of needles, Mr Visser said their friendly team was there to help guide you through the process.
"The needle is about 3 per cent of what we do and once it's in, the worst part is over and then you just sit, relax and kick back while you donate," Mr Visser said.
Tattoos are no longer a barrier to blood donations under a rule change this year, meaning those with fresh ink only need to wait seven days to donate, provided the tattoo was done at a licensed Australian tattoo parlour.
Cr Garwood said the City of Launceston had taken on a "competitive edge" where local governments and councils were seeing who could come out on top of the ladder in terms of donations.
"You might not realise that in the statistics about every 18 seconds, someone in Australia requires blood," Cr Garwood said.
"So the more we can donate, the more we can be involved and whether you can or can't donate, it's about the advocacy around it as well."
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