BLOOD SERVICE DESPERATE FOR DONORS:
THE Red Cross Blood Service is calling on Geelong residents with O negative blood to roll up their sleeves and donate, with reserves down to less than two days’ supply.
The service wants 5000 people with O negative blood to donate over the next fortnight to boost supplies of the universal blood type, which have dropped to their lowest point this year.
Spokeswoman Helen Walsh said seasonal challenges had led to the low reserves, with more O negative donors needed to continue meeting hospital demand.
“With our regular donors still being knocked out by cold and flu, we’ve seen the Blood Service’s own reserves of O negative dip to less than two days’ supply after maintaining hospital stocks,” Ms Walsh said.
“We are urging first-time and regular O negative donors to roll up their sleeves and give blood in order to boost supplies.
“We need 5000 O negative donations over the next two weeks to meet this demand.
“If you are O negative, someone in your family could be too.
“We’re asking people to talk to their family and encourage them to donate.”
Cold and flu symptoms have contributed to as many as 1300 donors a day cancelling appointments so far this winter, the Blood Service revealed.
“We need others to step up — in this case people with O negative blood — to take the place of those who are unable to answer our call,” Ms Walsh said.
“With one in three of us needing donated blood or blood products in our lifetime, the life you save could be that of a friend or family member.”
The donor call-out comes after Geelong health services workers did their part earlier this year, providing 309 donations in April and June as part of the Blood Service’s Red25 Health Services Challenge.
The donations were 40 more than any other donor centre in Australia, cementing Geelong health service workers as the most generous in the country.
Local service participants included workers from Barwon Health, St John of God Healthcare and Epworth Healthcare.
Barwon Health took out the top spot in Victoria, donating more than any other health service with 198 donations saving 596 lives.
To make an appointment call 13 14 95 or visit donate blood.com.au