News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Local Blood Assurances will continue to seek more donations in light of an urgent blood shortage.
Cookeville Blood Assurance Account Manager Trudy Cody said recent trauma instances exhausted the blood supply.
“We have had some urgent needs for a lot of the blood just this week. And even before that, we were beginning to head that way,” Cody said. “But we had some traumas this week that even adds to more of an urgent need.”
Cookeville Blood Assurance calls for more donations in light of a blood shortage. (Photo: Blood Assurance Cookeville Facebook)
Cody said the holidays make the chances of a shortage higher.
“Around the holidays you always have low donor and high usage, because of the holidays because of people traveling, family members coming in, schools are closed,” Cody said. “There are various reasons people are sick. So you have a lot of variables there.”
Cody said specific blood types are needed more than others.
“All of the negative blood types but especially the O negative. That is the universal blood,” Cody said. “Everybody no matter what blood type you are, everybody can receive the O negative blood. That is what is used the most, so that is what we have to replenish the most.”
Overall, Cody said the company has not met its daily blood supply goal.
“As a company, the Blood Assurance as a whole, we need about 560 units minimum a day to service all of our hospitals and healthcare facilities,” Cody said. “So that is our goal daily.”
Cody said if met, the goal keeps the blood supply large enough to avoid urgent shortages.
“You never know when a tragedy is going to strike, when there is going to be a greater need. So it is a constant need,” Cody said. “We are not always in an urgent need but we are always in need.”
To schedule a donation time, contact the Cookeville Blood Assurance Office for more information. For other questions, contact Cody at 931-239-9411.
