There were 2,801 first time blood donors last year, 145 less than the number of new donors the previous year which had been a record one.

National blood transfusion centre director Alex Aquilina told a news conference that 19,384 people called at the centre in 2009, against 20,310 in 2008.

There were 16,927 callers in 2007, 16.080 in 2006 and 15,656 in 2005.

The majority of donors – 9,432, were men, 5,188 were women.

Dr Aquilina said that the bank did not face any crisis in 2009 due to the consistent number of donors and to the attention given to avoid any blood being wasted.

He said that each bag of processed blood cost around 100 euros from the moment it was donated until it was passed on to a patient.

Health Minister Joe Cassar praised the centre's work and said that employees at the Blood Bank went beyond their call of duty.