Extreme weather reduces Regional Blood Center’s supplies

MARQUETTE COUNTY — The extreme weather has caused blood drives to cancelled, therefore, reducing blood supplies to low amounts.

The UPHS Regional Blood Center tries to keep 400-500 pints of blood in stock at all times for the 12 facilities they supply to. Although this has now affected the supply severely and the regional blood center is asking for eligible patrons to come and donate to help the people who may be in need of blood donations.

“It has affected the blood supply in a couple of ways,” said Supervisor of blood donor services for the UPHS Regional Blood Center, Dana Langsford. “We have had to cancel a couple of drives because we were unable to get there. There was nobody leaving and nobody travelling.”

Although it is important for people to come and donate due to donations being limited in the first place, if more people donated shortages would almost be non-existent.

“If the total eligible population would actually donate you would never see a shortage,” explained Langsford. “But very few people who are actually eligible will donate.”

The blood center is very low on O, A and B negative blood types; they are also searching for donations from all other types as well.