The New York Blood Center has declared a blood emergency as hospitals scramble to replenish blood banks.
The blood center, which primarily provides blood products to hospitals in the New York metropolitan area, said donations over the past three weeks fell 2,100 pints short of area hospitals’ needs.
The problem stems from a seasonal drop in donations around Memorial Day weekend.
This is the New York Blood Center’s second blood emergency this year, the first being in January during the holiday season after low donor participation and bad winter weather.
The blood center said today’s news is especially alarming because summer typically sees a surge in trauma cases.
“The summer months, often referred to as ‘trauma season,’ pose even greater challenges to our already limited blood supplies,” said Dr. Alexander J. Indrikovs, senior director of transfusion medicine at Northwell Health.
“Warmer weather means longer hours of daylight and more outdoor activity, which increases the chances of suffering injuries that could require a blood transfusion.”
The center said it needs platelets and all blood types, but there is a high demand for types O and B. The area has a two-day blood supply, with an optimal supply for five to seven days, it said.
For more information on how to donate, nybc.org/BloodDonation.
