Police and medical officials are sending out an urgent appeal for the donation of blood for an eight-year-old girl who was found with her throat slashed on Roosevelt Avenue, St Andrew on Thursday.

Police sources said they are following leads that suggest the child was abducted as she left school in Portmore and later taken to the area in St Andrew and left for dead.

She was found and rushed to the hospital where she has been admitted.

Since the incident, the Police Federation has started a blood drive for the child.

Kindly donate blood at the National Blood Bank or any receivable location islandwide and take the receipt to the Bustamante Children's Hospital or any blood receivable location," a section of a release from the Police Federation stated.

The most recent reports are that the child underwent a marathon surgery which was successful. However, she remains in a serious but stable condition with doctors giving herr a 50:50 chance of survival.

The incident has drawn condemnation from the public with irate citizens calling for more to be done to protect the nation's children.