Versiti Blood Center of Michigan has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations due to what it says is a dangerously low blood supply.
Versiti spokesperson Kristin Paltzer tells us they run the risk of not having enough blood for hospitals.
“Right now we’re seeing less than a day supply of certain blood types,” Paltzer said. “Typically, we try to stay around a five to six day supply. So, specifically O positive and O negative are less than a day supply availability, which is really concerning because if you go into the hospital and you have suffered some sort of trauma accident and your blood type isn’t known, you’re going to be transfused with O negative blood.”
Paltzer says blood donations always go down in the summer because schools and universities are out, but Versiti has also seen a jump in no-shows and cancelled appointments this month.
You can make a big difference with just one blood donation.
“One blood donation can save up to three lives, so the impact is much larger than just one person.”
Paltzer says Versiti is inviting all eligible blood donors to make an appointment at its donation center in St. Joseph. She notes blood donated there stays in the community. Walk-ins are also welcome.
It takes about an hour to donate blood and they’ll check you for your eligibility on site. Paltzer invites past blood donors, in particular, to help out.
