Nebraska Public Blood Bank declares ‘blood emergency’ and urges the public to increase donations
OMAHA, Nebraska (Nebraska) — The Nebraska Public Blood Bank declared an emergency this week due to a shortage of blood supplies.
Kari Lundin, spokesperson for the NCBB, said the holidays, combined with cold and flu season, are typical contributing factors to low levels.
Lundin said the blood bank has less than a two-day supply of type O blood and Rh-negative blood. Also a critically low platelet count.
She says the blood transfusion is not enough to replenish the supplies. The blood bank needs 1,000 people to donate blood every week. In February, the blood bank accepted just under 3,000 donations.
Lundin says some people who may have thought they were not eligible to donate should check it out again.
“People will think that maybe because I’m on this medication or because I’ve had cancer in the past, for a lot of different reasons, they think they can’t donate, but on actually they can,” she said.
She hopes that the spread of information will make more people see the need and roll up their sleeves.
“All the blood we have today is for patients tomorrow,” she said. “That’s why we need people to keep coming.”
For more information, as well as information on how to register to donate blood, visit the Nebraska Community Blood Bank website.
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