NEW YORK – New York Blood Center is facing another blood emergency, their second in the last 75 days and the fifth of 2022.
A blood emergency occurs when there is a significant gap between the amount of blood donations and need from local hospitals. The region’s blood supply is once again at a one-to-three-day supply.
Despite new and innovative strategies to encourage the scheduling of more community blood drives, the gap between what hospitals and patients need and the available blood supply continues to grow.
The blood center said 62 percent of the general public is able to donate and only about four percent of that population do — this a national crisis that must change for the future health of all New Yorkers and this country, the center said on Wednesday.
Prior to the pandemic, there was always a surplus of blood in the U.S. so if one region of the country was short, not-for-profit blood centers could help one another. There is no surplus in the U.S. anymore. The New York Blood Center hasn’t had the ideal blood supply of five-to-seven days in over 30 months. Blood emergencies in the last decade typically happened twice per year around the 4th of July and December holidays.
“It isn’t that folks are not donating blood – our data shows that there is only a small group of loyal blood donors who are representing the entire community and shouldering the burden for all,” said Andrea Cefarelli, senior vice president of New York Blood Center. “We need everyone, from Gen Z to Gen X, to step up. Donating blood is a meaningful volunteer opportunity – we encourage people to bring their families, friends and partners to make it even more fun and impactful.”
To make an appointment at a blood drive near you, donors can call 1-800-933-2566 or visit donate.nybc.org.
