(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A local blood donation center urgently needs more donors, officials said.
Versiti Blood Center of Illinois is adding extra hours and more staff because it needs 750 donations per day this week to adequately supply hospitals in its network.
Versiti Vice President Amy Smith said the need for blood has ebbed and flowed since the beginning of the pandemic.
"When COVID started we had a huge pullback as hospitals dropped their demand for elective surgeries and were only using blood in trauma situations,” she said. “And then we went into a situation where people started to need blood, surgeries had to happen, and the demand spiked up very quickly.”
Smith said the drop in donations is due to a lower amount of high school blood drives.
While high schools have resumed in-person learning, some schools have postponed blood drives for COVID-related safety reasons.
"They're still being cautious, and we appreciate that for sure. But that need is putting us in a situation where we need more donors to step up and make up for the difference in those high school student drives," Smith said.
She added that the blood supply has dropped off in recent months.
"The last six months has been quite the struggle, and we are encouraging everyone that would be eligible to come out. Whether you're an existing donor or a first time donor, make that commitment to come out and save a life," Smith said.
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