Elizabeth September 30th, 2008

I mentioned last week that blood supplies for the Australian Red Cross are critically low. Today I spotted this article in The Age which confirms that the problem is getting serious.

If you are eligible to give blood, now is the perfect time to do so. Take a friend, spend 10 minutes in a relaxing chair and enjoy the free food and drink afterwards!

Red Cross plea for blood donors

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is urgently calling for new blood donors to come forward after supplies dropped off over winter.

Demand for blood across the country is placing extreme pressure on already low blood stocks, particularly group O negative, the service warned today.

“This demand means that hospitals urgently need more blood to continue life saving treatment for a wide range of conditions,” a statement said.

“Blood stocks have not been able to recover from the effect of winter coughs and colds on regular donors to a level that would usually be provided to hospitals, despite the generous support from existing donors and some recent new donors.”

The services said one in 30 people donate blood in Australia, and yet one in three Australians will need blood at some point in their lives.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is also encouraging existing donors who may not have donated for sometime to come back and make another life-saving donation.

To make a donation appointment or to check your eligibility to donate, call 131495 or visit www.donateblood.com.au

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