Aussies are being urged to roll up their sleeves and donate blood, with reserves for most blood types dropping to critical levels.
A desperate call-out has been issued by the Australian Red Cross this morning, with fears supplies will soon hit their lowest level this year.
According to Lifeblood, more than 1,200 people are needed to donate every day in the coming week to meet the needs of patients.
“The current demand for blood is extremely high and the current level of donations is struggling to keep up with this high demand,” Lifeblood Executive Director of Donor Experience Cath Stone said.
“Right now, we need both blood and plasma donors; we have empty chairs across our network every single day.
“Almost 4,000 bags of blood are needed by hospitals every day across Australia to help patients in times of trauma, major surgery, cancer treatment, pregnancy and for a range of other medical conditions”.
Just one donation could save up to three lives.
“With one in three of us needing donated blood in our lifetime, the life you save could be that of a friend or family member, so please don’t wait, book now,” Ms Stone said.
“Fewer than 3 per cent of the population donate blood regularly, yet more than 58 per cent are eligible to donate. That means there are about 10 million more people who could donate today, but don’t” she said.
“If you’ve been waiting for the right time to become a donor or have been thinking about coming back to donate, this is the time to act,” she said.
To book an appointment call 13 14 95, book online at lifeblood.com.au or on the DonateBlood app.
