Inventory is down to just one day’s supply of blood at Medic Regional Blood Center, this area’s only blood collector and supplier for 26 hospitals in 21 counties. To make matters worse, several blood drives have been cancelled for Thursday and Friday due to threats of inclement weather, said Jeannine McKamey, Medic’s director of public relations.
“We schedule our blood drives so as to collect about 300 pints per day or 1500 a week” McKamey said. “Any cancellations for whatever reasons can seriously jeopardize supplies.” All blood types are needed, she said.
As of Thursday morning, Medic headquarters had only 415 pints of blood on the shelves, McKamey said. “We should have a minimum of at least 1500. We supply the hospital blood banks. When we run low, they will also.”
Medic has rescheduled some of the cancelled blood drives, McKamey said. “We urge people to donate at their next community or organization blood drive because we could very well see even more inclement weather that may further endanger the blood supply.”
Donors can give blood at Medic every weekday between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Weekend hours are Saturdays 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Medic is located at 1601 Allor Avenue, at the intersection of 17th Street and Western Avenue. For information, phone (865) 524-3074 or visit www.medicblood.org.

… read the rest of the story by Subscribing now.

... read the rest of the story by Subscribing now.