Health Care Professionals Encourage Students to Donate Blood Amid State, National Shortage
As the state and nation face a blood shortage that has stretched though the summer due to a rise in hospital demand for blood products, healthcare providers and the American Red Cross continue to urge the community to donate blood.
Keshav Deshpande, DO, a trauma, acute care and critical care surgeon at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center cited capacity limits in donation sites due to social distancing, increased traffic accidents due to an increase in travel, delayed surgeries during the coronavirus pandemic that are now taking place and a large increase in violence across the state and nation as reasons for the shortage in Ohio.
Michael Tyler, American Red Cross regional communications manager for central and southern Ohio indicated that in central and southeast Ohio, the Red Cross has had success in meeting the needs of area hospitals amidst the national shortage.
“We've just seen a significant call from the community and, really going forward, we want people to keep that mindset that the need for blood never ends,” Tyler said. “Even now, we’re in what we call a ‘critical stage’ … We want to make sure we’re still meeting our demands from our hospital partners.”
Dr. Deshpande and the American Red Cross urge those who are able, to donate now.
“Lives are saved with each unit donated,” Dr. Deshpande said.
Read more about the blood shortage in the Athens Post by clicking here.
Ready to make a blood donation? Click here to schedule with the American Red Cross.
