Blood Supply Dangerously Low Warns New York Blood Center - Winter Weather Crimps Fragile Blood Supply in New York and New Jersey
New York Blood Center (NYBC) announced an emergency appeal today due to critically low inventory of all blood types and platelets. The winter storm that began on Wednesday, February 14, forced the cancellation of more than a dozen blood drives throughout the metropolitan area and many individuals who scheduled donations cancelled appointments to give. The impact of weather conditions coupled with typically low donation levels during holidays as we enter Presidents' weekend compound the issue. Eligible donors are urged to call 1-800-933-BLOOD or go to www. nybloodcenter. org to schedule an appointment to donate immediately.
New York, NY (PRWEB) February 17, 2007
New York, NY, February 17, 2007 -- New York Blood Center (NYBC) reached a critically low inventory today of all blood types and platelets. Eligible donors are urged to call 1-800-933-BLOOD and schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets immediately.
The winter storm that began on Wednesday, February 14, forced the cancellation of more than a dozen blood drives throughout the metropolitan area and many individuals who scheduled donations cancelled appointments to give. The impact on Wednesday's blood collection expectations is a loss of more than 1,000 pints of blood and more than 150 platelet products which is more than 50% of the donations that were expected.
New York Blood Center has been working to recover fully from low inventory since a January 9 emergency appeal for donations. The January appeal helped to rebuild local blood supplies over the last six weeks, but persistently cold weather and the snow and ice storm have caused a devastating setback. Although all fixed donation locations will be open on Presidents' Day, the number of mobile drives and number of donations scheduled are generally lower than usual.
"Thank you to everyone who has done their part by coming out to donate over the past several weeks," said Dr. Robert L. Jones, New York Blood Center President and CEO, "but at this time we are asking all members of the community who have not donated blood in 56 days, or platelets in 3 days, to please do so now." Nationwide, 60% of the population is eligible to donate blood. Yet, in New York, less than 2% actually give each year. That number lags far behind the national average of 5%.
The New York/New Jersey metropolitan area requires nearly 2,000 volunteer donations daily to serve patients in our area hospitals. "We have reduced supply of platelets and B Negative blood to our hospital customers," adds Dr. Jones. "To avoid this situation worsening, the possibility of expanded blood rationing to area hospitals, and requesting cancellation of non-emergency surgery, we need people to understand how important blood donation is to the health of their neighbors and the larger community. We appeal not only to individuals but to corporations, churches, synagogues and schools to hold blood drives in the next few weeks to raise our levels of platelets and all blood types," Dr. Jones continued.
New York Blood Center, one of the nation's largest non-profit, community-based blood collection and distribution organizations, urges both past and new blood and platelet donors to donate as soon as they can. Four million Americans would die each year without donated blood being available. In fact, one of every three people will require a life-saving transfusion sometime in their life.
Blood and platelet donors must be at least age 16 years old in New York (17 years old in New Jersey), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in generally good health. To locate a convenient donation location in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey or the Hudson Valley, please call 1-800-933-BLOOD or go to www. nybloodcenter. org.
New York Blood Center operating regions include:
Brooklyn/Staten Island Blood Services, providing blood to hospitals in Brooklyn & Staten Island; Hudson Valley Blood Services, providing blood to hospitals in the Bronx & Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster & Sullivan Counties; Long Island Blood Services, providing blood to Queens, Nassau & Suffolk hospitals; New Jersey Blood Services, providing blood to hospitals in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Union, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex & Passaic Counties; New York Blood Services, providing blood to Manhattan hospitals.
New York Blood Center (NYBC), one of the nation's largest non-profit, community-based blood centers, has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to patients in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut hospitals since 1964. NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program at the Milstein National Cord Blood Center, the world's first and largest public cord blood bank. NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals and transfusion medicine physicians.
# # #
