Blood crisis hits area

By Alex Roman
Daily Forty Niner

The nation's recent severe blood shortage has begun to affect Long Beach area hospitals and the Red Cross, making it difficult to treat patients.

"The shortage began during this past summer," said Long Beach Memorial Medical Center blood donor recruiter Rebecca Gonzales. "A lot of our regular donors were on vacation and that has caused us to begin experiencing a severe blood crisis."

The types of blood that the hospital and the Red Cross are in most need of are both the negative and positive blood groups O and B according to Gonzales.

Of most importance is the negative O type because it is compatible with every other blood type, Gonzalez said. She also added that six of every 100 blood donors are O negative.

Currently, Long Beach Memorial has less than 50 percent of their typical group O inventory. Despite their call on regular donors for help, they are in desperate need of more help.

"We currently have twenty regular donors a day," said Gonzalez. "We would like to have at least fifty."

The Red Cross, the largest national supplier of blood to hospitals, is also experiencing their own shortage.

"It's true we are going through a major blood shortage," said Red Cross Communications Manager Julie Juliusson. "We have about a day's worth of type O here and are only giving it out on an emergency basis."

The effects of the blood shortage are beginning to be felt at Long Beach Memorial, where in some cases they are unable to supply their patients with the blood they require. Some patients even have to be placed on hold until the proper blood can be found according to Gonzales.

"Fortunately, none of our patients have died as a result of the shortage," said Gonzales. "But we do have many patients who require blood daily who have to wait."

Long Beach Memorial is currently in search of healthy and willing people to donate, before the shortage becomes hazardous.

"It's hard to find donors, because they are afraid of needles or they just don't understand the impact it may have," said Gonzales. "I basically tell them that by giving blood, they're saving a life."

Juliusson agrees with Gonzales' call for help.

"Everyone assumes that everyone else is donating blood," Juliusson said. "I think that people take for granted that blood will always be there for them if they need it. I understand that people are busy, but it only takes an hour to donate blood and it's going to take a lot of people to donate a lot of blood to put a dent in our shortage."

The length of the shortage has begun to worry some, as they realize that no new blood donors there cause serious problems.

"We have little kids with leukemia who need blood daily," said Gonzales. " I hate to say it, but if we can't find blood soon, then some of our patients will die."