Connecticut and Rhode Island Blood Centers announced a blood emergency, as school breaks and increased traveling have caused an alarming drop in donations.
The Connecticut Blood Center (CTBV) and the Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), said that hospitals and patients rely on a steady flow of volunteer donors to receive life-saving blood donations. According to the latest figures put out by America’s Blood Centers, only three percent of the U.S. population donates blood.
Beau Tompkins, senior executive director of the CTBV and RIBC mentioned school breaks and increased travel can "make blood donations less of a priority."
The blood supply currently stands at a two-to-three-day level; platelets along with types O and B- are at just a one-to-two-day supply. This is well below the ideal inventory of five-seven days, according to a press release.
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One in seven hospital admissions requires a blood transfusion. Those who may need one include, cancer patients, burn or trauma victims, transplant recipients, and more, the centers said.
To book an appointment or to find out more information, you can visit the blood centers website or call 800-283-8385.
