The Red Cross blood supply is short, and officials are calling for donors locally and nationally to address the emergency, Diane O'Donnell, American Red Cross representative for the Oneonta and Otsego County, said Monday.
The supply has reached emergency levels with 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June, www.redcrossblood.org said. The shortfall leaves the Red Cross with half the readily available blood products now than it had this time last year.
Locally, the Red Cross will promote its annual Communities That Care Blood Drive at the Holiday Inn in Oneonta from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 25, O'Donnell said.
With schools and colleges on break for the summer, some regular donors aren't taking time to give blood because of activities and vacations, Red Cross officials said.
Also, this year's mid-week Independence Day holiday reduced the number of scheduled Red Cross blood drives, the website said, and many sponsors, especially businesses, are unable to host drives because employees are taking extended vacations.
Karen Huxtable, spokeswoman for the Bassett Healthcare Network based in Cooperstown, said the shortage doesn't appear to be affecting Bassett in a negative way. Bassett hasn't had to cancel any surgeries or reschedule elective surgeries based the blood supply, she said.
Dr. Benjamin Friedell, vice president of medical affairs at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta, said he heard when he gave blood two weeks ago that supplies across the state were at a critical level.
At Fox, while demand for blood supplies continues for elective surgeries and trauma victims, needs have grown with the aging population for blood transfusions, Friedell said. However he didn't know of any negative impact locally from emergency status.
"I'm not aware that it's disrupted treatments at the hospital," Friedell said. Nonetheless, Friedell said he would encourage all eligible donors to help replenish the supply.
O'Donnell said the NY/Penn Blood Service Region collects blood that is distributed to about 135 hospitals in its service area, she said.
All blood types are needed, Red Cross officials said, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative.
O'Donnell estimated about a third of the 150 donor slots are taken for the July 25 drive. Walk-in donors are welcome, she said, but those with appointments will be seen first. To make an appointment, call (800) REDCROSS or register online at www.redcrossblood.org.
State Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, said he will attend Thursday's promotion and will participate in a taped public-service announcement to encourage donors to step forward.
"I'll be my first recruit," Seward said. "They can use all the first-time blood donors they can get, and I intend to be one of those."
O'Donnell said the Red Cross especially is looking for first-time donors to broaden the supply pool. Statistics show that one in three people will need a blood transfusion during his or her lifetime.
Blood and platelets are needed for many different reasons, including to treat accident and burn victims, for heart surgery patients, organ transplants and premature babies, the Red Cross website said.
"The need for blood is constant," O'Donnell said. "It is our civic duty to give blood because you never know who is going to need it."
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