OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Due to an extended period of lower donations, the Nebraska Community Blood Bank announced a “blood emergency” and is seeking donations so it can provide hospitals with life-saving blood.
“There’s a nationwide shortage,” said Cheryl Warholoski, Director of Operations. “We currently have only a 3-day supply of blood to offer to more than 20 local hospitals. The long-term impact of the pandemic has meant we’ve had a year of virtually no high school or college first-time donors, and 41% fewer donors between the ages of 17-24.”
In addition to a shortage, the Nebraska Community Blood Bank said there has been a surge in demand as patients seek care that was put off over the past 15 months during the pandemic — leading to “created a chronic gap in blood donations locally and nationally.”
Warholoski added, “As our region reopens, we are increasing our outreach efforts to raise awareness and encourage those who have not donated since before the pandemic to return to donating blood.”
To help, the Nebraska Community Blood Bank is asking people to step up and donate and said donors will be entered in drawings for tickets to local baseball games.
You can sign up and find out more by visiting http://www.ncbb.org/.
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