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| Vol. 24, No. 3 |
| February 15, 2002 |
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Area-wide Blood Shortage Prompts Public Appeal by ROBIN DAVIDSON Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Thanks to response from the public to recent appeals for blood donations, the blood supply status is slowly improving, but a blood shortage still exists. All emergency patient needs are being met, but there are still insufficient reserves. The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is asking for 800 donations per day to end this shortage. Forced to move blood between the hospitals in its 24-county Texas Gulf Coast service area, the Blood Center left those contributing hospitals with short supplies. Therefore, all eligible donors are still being asked to donate. These continued donations are necessary to fill all standing hospital backorders and leave a reserve inventory on Blood Center shelves. In response to reports that blood collection agencies outside Houston collected, then discarded, blood immediately following the Sept. 11 tragedies, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center reports that 99.8 percent of the more than 12,000 units of red blood cells collected at their facilities were transfused. Of the 1,500 people who signed a pledge card to donate later, 600 (40 percent) returned to donate between Nov. 11 and Dec. 31. "We applaud these efforts and encourage these individuals to become regular donors, donating at least three times per calendar year," said Bill Teague, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center president and CEO. Blood donations of all blood types are always needed, but especially groups O and B. Hours of operation of many blood donation facilities have been extended to make donation more convenient. Donors must be 17 years old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in general good health. Those interested in donating blood are urged to contact one of the following institutional participants in the regional blood program for locations and hours of operation: • Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, (713) 790-1200, 1-888-GV-BLOOD (1-888-482-5663), http://www.giveblood.org • The Methodist Hospital, (713) 441-3415 • St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, (832) 355-4483, http://www.stlukestexas.com/blooddonorcenter • The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, (713) 792-7777 • The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, (409) 772-4861
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