American employees in Bermuda are being asked to give blood to ensure supplies are kept high at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The US Consulate and the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have called on their employees to donate blood to the hospital's blood bank.

About half of Consulate employees have either given blood this year or plan to do so as part of this initiative. Now other employees are being asked to give too.

Fiona Barber, a registered nurse at the Red Cross Donor Centre, said: "The Blood Donor Centre is very grateful to staff from the US Consulate and CBP for their generous contribution.

"We are always looking for donors in order to manage emergencies and regular patient needs. With over 500 patients a year requiring blood, our demand is on-going.

"We thank the US Consulate and CBP for their support of our services and encourage others to contact us about giving blood."

The employee blood drive will run for the first two weeks of this month and others in the community are also urged to participate on a regular basis.

Stephen Greenberg, Port Director of the US Bureau of Customs and Border Protection preclearance facility at L.F. Wade International Airport, commented: "The idea of a blood drive is important to CBP and has been for many years.

"It is one way to help the community in which we live. In the United States, CBP officers have already donated over 800 units of blood so far this year and our goal is to reach 2,000 units of donated blood year's end."

Consul General Gregory Slayton agreed, saying: "Donating blood is critically important. I encourage everyone to make the effort and to give blood during this drive and regularly thereafter, if you can."