Vancouver – Blood supply levels have dropped to a one-day supply or less, prompting Bloodworks Northwest to issue an urgent plea for donors.
Normal inventory is a four-day supply. Inventory dropped by nearly 25 percent after the recent heat wave, according to Bloodworks Northwest. The organization provides blood to regional hospitals, including both Vancouver hospitals.
Type O — the most common blood type in the Northwest — is being shipped to hospitals almost as soon as it is collected, according to Bloodworks. There is a special need for Type O blood and platelets, but all donors are needed.
“With the solar eclipse on Monday and with up to 1 million people converging on Oregon and Southwest Washington, we need to be ready,” said Dr. James P. AuBuchon, president and CEO of Bloodworks, in a news release. “Responding to emergencies requires blood that is already collected, tested, on the shelves and ready for immediate use.”
Donors can schedule an appointment online, schedule.bloodworksnw.org, or by phone, 800-398-7888. The Vancouver Donor Center, 9320 N.E. Vancouver Mall Drive, Suite 100, is open Tuesday through Saturday.
