Photo: Yuki Kobo (Flickr)
The Indiana Blood Center loses at least 30 percent of its donors in the summer.
Blood donations are down for hospitals, doctors and patients across Indiana. Indiana Blood Center spokesperson Wendy Mehringer said blood donations typically drop during the summer due to fewer corporate blood drives, vacations and school breaks. Mehringer said that during the summer months, the Indiana Blood Center loses at least 30 percent of its donors who come from high school and college blood drives. IBC typically needs 550 blood donors per day across the state, but during the summer, that figure drops well below that number.
“We don‘t need 550 donations a day because of ambulances and trauma,” Mehringer said. “Yes blood is used in transfusions and are used in accidents that way but the lion‘s share of what we need is used for therapeutic transfusions. So, it‘s an everyday task and were up to it 365 days a year.”
IBC suggests donors come in and give “double donations” to help maintain supplies. They say double donations are perfectly safe, but donors are required to come in less frequently. For more information, log onto www.facebook.com/indianablood or visit your local Indiana Blood Center office.
