Need for blood donations critical
With hospitals across the region resuming elective surgeries, Miller Keystone Blood Center on Monday issued an urgent appeal for blood donations.
“In the past, Miller-Keystone Blood Center required approximately 450 donors per day to meet the transfusion needs of our regional hospitals,” said Qiana Cressman, executive director of donor operations at the center. “However, in March our regional hospitals canceled elective surgeries as they were addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, our daily goal the past two months decreased from approximately 450 to approximately 250.
“Now that hospitals are resuming elective surgeries, their daily transfusion needs are increasing again, and as a result, so is the number of blood donors we will need to see on a daily basis.”
The blood center is looking for donations from donors of all blood types, as well as platelet donors. To adhere to social distancing restrictions, the blood center is readjusting the timing of donation schedules.
“Traditionally we may have had four or five appointments available at a specific time slot, however, due to current social distancing recommendations we may only have two or three slots available at that time,” she said.
Cressman said that if a donor cannot get an appointment for their preferred time they are encouraged to make an appointment one to three weeks down the road, as the need for blood to care for cancer patients, accident victims, premature infants and others will remain critical.
“The demand at our community hospitals has steadily increased over this past month, and that trend is expected to continue,” Cressman said. “We would just like to remind people that blood cannot be manufactured, it can only come from the kind generosity of volunteer blood donors. If there is ever a time to donate, now is that time.
“Each and every blood donation truly does make a difference.”
In order to donate blood, a donor must be at least 16 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. They must be feeling healthy, have not donated in the past eight weeks and be able to provide a valid form of identification.
Platelet donors can donate within eight days of their last donation.
Donations are currently being done on an appointment-only basis. To schedule an apppointment call 1-800223-6667 or visit giveapint.org.