Blood shortage is major problem in Georgia
Donors needed now to build blood supply

Northeast Ga. - Every day phones are constantly ringing at The American Red Cross as hospitals from across Georgia call to request shipments of blood, platelets and plasma for their patients. Over the summer, there is too little blood available to fulfill all requests, say Red Cross officials. Currently, there is less than a two-day supply of blood in the state, while a three to five daysupply is necessary to be ready for any large-scale emergency.

"It is always tough during the summer because we rarely have enough blood donations to meet ongoing hospital demand," says (insert name of district manager). "In fact, we have about 25% fewer donors at our blood drives from May to August because so many people go away in the summer or just don't make the time to donate."

According to the Red Cross, donors with all blood types are needed, but the greatest shortage is with O negative and O positive blood. Not only are these the blood types that run out first, they also are in dangerously short supply during the summer months. Type O blood can be given to any patient regardless of blood type and is used extensively in hospital emergency rooms as well as for newborns.

"We receive as much as 20% of our donations from college and high school students blood drives in this area," says (insert district manager name), "and we cannot hold these drives during the long school vacation every summer. This has a dramatic impact on our blood supply."

Platelet donations also are urgently needed now and can be given as often as every two weeks. Platelets are the component in the blood that enables it to clot. They are often needed by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The Southern Region, which distributes blood to 140 hospitals across Georgia, needs 1,200 donors every weekday in order to meet the needs of patients in the state. During

summer months donations always drop and blood is in short supply nationwide. This causes special problems in Georgia which depends on blood from other states to supplement local donations in order to meet the needs of patients here.

For more information and to find out how to make a blood or platelet donation appointment, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (448-3543) or visit www.negaredcross.org.