Posted on 01/10/2004 11:56:39 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
A critical shortage of blood is forcing some hospitals to postpone surgeries and compelling the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center to sound the alarm.
The blood bank put out an urgent call for donations Thursday — its second this week — and announced plans to extend office hours at its central location and at donation rooms in San Antonio.
"We have heard from the hospitals we serve, and they are postponing and delaying some surgeries," spokeswoman Carmen Davila said.
The blood bank collected 700 units of blood Wednesday, a day after it issued its first appeal, and expected to collect another 700 Friday, Davila said.
"But we need to see this momentum continue up until Tuesday," she said. "That will allow us to restock all the hospitals and clinics and to restock ourselves."
The blood bank requires about 500 units daily to keep up with the needs of the 100 hospitals and clinics it serves in 43 South Texas counties. The supply had been falling below that critical threshold, she said.
Donors must be 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good general health.
Donations typically dip in the winter because of the holidays and because of circulating cold and flu viruses.
The blood bank also is continuing to feel the impact of 2-year-old federal regulations that restrict donations by people who have spent extended time in Europe.
The rules were implemented to guard the blood supply against the threat of mad cow disease.
Davila said 1,750 donors were turned away last year because they had spent several months in European countries covered by these new rules.
Many of those donors were members of the military community, a major element in the regional donor pool, she said.
Blood is not short at the regional trauma center, though, which turned to employee blood drives to beef up supplies during this traditionally slow donation period, University Hospital spokeswoman Leni Kirkman said.
"We do our own blood drives in December each year for that reason," Kirkman said.
The hospital has adequate supplies on hand to care for accident victims from the 22 counties it serves at the trauma center.
The blood bank will take donations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at its headquarters at 6211 Interstate 10 West; the Northeast Donor Room at 8527 Village Drive, Suite 109; the Methodist Healthcare Texas Neurosciences Institute at 4410 Medical Drive, Suite 220; and the Wurzbach Donor Room at 10918 Wurzbach Road, Suite 127.
The headquarters, Methodist Healthcare and Northeast locations also will stay open until 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday to accommodate donors who want to stop in after work.
For more information, call (210) 731-5555.
-ctumiel@express-news.net
Give the Gift of Life!
| Rank | Location | Receipts | Donors/Avg | Freepers/Avg | Monthlies | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | New Hampshire | 145.00 |
4 |
36.25 |
98 |
1.48 |
|
|
Thanks for donating to Free Republic!
Move your locale up the leaderboard!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.