Monique Robinson
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) A seasonal blood supply shortage has prompted a region-wide call for donations.
“We typically see a shortfall around summer time and in the winter time because a lot of people are going on vacation, especially around the 4th of July. However, this summer is excessively bad,” said Regina Boothe-Bratton, External Communications Manager for the American Red Cross. “We are getting requests for products faster than we are getting them in.”
The Greater Chesapeake and Potomac region was down about 1,500 units of blood for May and June.
Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant procedures, and patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect nearly 14,000 blood donations every day for patients at approximately 2,600 hospitals across the country.
“There is a chance that doctors could postpone elective surgery if the need for blood products are not available but, that is the worse case scenario and we are working to make sure that does not happen anywhere with any of our hospital partners around the country,” Boothe-Bratton told WMAL.
Following the shooting that critically injured House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana in June, the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac region Red Cross supplied blood to the local Alexandria hospital.
The Red Cross needs the additional blood to be able to appropriately respond to emergency situations.
“It’s crucial that people donate now to meet the needs of patients every day and to be prepared for emergencies that require significant volumes of donated blood,” said Nick Gehrig, Communications Director of the Red Cross Blood Services.
“We desperately need people to roll up their sleeves and donate blood, regardless of the blood type,” said Boothe-Bratton.
To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
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