By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Information received from the American Red Cross states that the organization faces an emergency blood shortage after its national blood inventory plummeted more than 25 per cent in July.
Local residents have the ability to help the situation.
The Red Cross is holding a blood drive on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at the South Annex (back entrance of the Geneseo First Methodist Church (south campus) of the church. The drive will begin at 12 noon and continue until 6 p.m. Donuts donated by Geneseo Donut Shop will be available.
Walk-ins will be accepted in as timely a manner as possible with appointments taking priority.
Those planning to give blood will be asked to present their Red Cross ID card (or a valid driver’s license) and will be asked to read the list of medications that might exclude their donation from being used.
For ease in donating, donors can download the Red Cross Donor from the App Store to make Rapid Pass quick and easy.
Anyone with questions about donating, getting a Red Cross ID card or who would like more information, is asked to call 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED CROSS).
Information received from the American Red Cross states that the summer’s record- setting heat is a significant contributor to recent blood collection challenges impacting more than 100 blood drives in the last month, in nearly every state where the Red Cross collects blood, further compounding other typical seasonal obstacles to blood donation, such as vacation travel and summer activities.
Meanwhile, hospital demand for lifesaving blood products has remained constant, rapidly drawing down the blood supply.
The Red Cross is working with hospitals around the clock to meet the blood needs of patients. However, due to the supply of type O blood being so low, the organization has had to reduce distributions of this vital blood type in recent weeks to below hospital comfort levels.
“Having type O blood products readily available is vital to providing timely and lifesaving care to patients in need,” said D r. Baia Lasky, division chief medical officer for the Red Cross. “In fact, for a patient suffering massive blood loss, like an individual in a car accident or a mom experiencing a severe post partum hemorrhage, group O is the most commonly transfused blood type. For trauma patients, each minute of delay can increase the chance of death by 5 per cent. More than a quarter of all blood products each year are used in critical care and emergency room situations – those transfusions are only available because of the generosity of blood and platelet donors.”
All types are needed now, especially types O positive and O negative, as well as platelet donations, to help reverse this national blood shortage.
The statement from the Red Cross also said, “When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to the nation’s supply are hard to overcome. More individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood following accidents, during surgeries and for treatment of conditions such as sickle cell disease and cancer….Blood cannot be manufactured or stockpiled and can only be made available through the kindness of volunteer donors.