Blood donations have slowed to a trickle in Alabama and across the nation meaning patients who need a blood transfusion may need to wait hours, even days for that help.Alabama requires 350 blood …
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Blood donations have slowed to a trickle in Alabama and across the nation meaning patients who need a blood transfusion may need to wait hours, even days for that help.
Alabama requires 350 blood donations a day to meet the needs of hospitals across the state. Currently 71 percent of blood donation appointments every day in the state are unfilled.
"That's not good," said Annette Rowland with the American Red Cross, which collects 40 percent of the blood supply used nationally.
In some cities across the nation, low blood supplies have forced doctors to defer surgeries, including organ transplants. Experts are calling it the worst blood shortage in a decade.
Blood cannot be manufactured so donated blood is needed for all types of emergencies, from patients suffering illnesses to car accident victims. Rowland said people need to understand that when they give blood, they are directly helping their neighbor and maybe even themselves.