Winter weather causes blood shortage locally
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Winter weather has contributed to a dangerously low blood supply for West Tennessee hospitals, according to LIFELINE Blood Services. If blood donations do not come in soon, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital officials said they may have to delay scheduled surgeries and some cancer treatments. “We need a supply,” JMCGH Transfusion Service Manager Beth Mitchell said. “We have surgeries that are scheduled that if we don’t have enough blood, we’re going to have to postpone and reschedule.” LIFELINE Blood Services provides blood for 17 hospitals across West Tennessee. Administrator Joe Schifano said the supply is dangerously low, specifically for O-negative, A-negative and B-negative types. “Related to the Rh-negative blood types, it’s less than a day’s supply in our area hospitals,” he said. Schifano blames the shortage on last week‘s winter weather. “We collected much less than half of the blood we usually would in a specific week,” he said. LIFELINE confirmed they canceled seven blood drives, more than half of the ones scheduled. “A lot of side roads were not available and a lot of businesses weren’t working,” Schifano said. Mitchell said if people do not donate, they could run into problems later this week. She said the hospital has cancer center patients coming in daily for transfusions. “We don’t want to delay their treatments by not having the blood products available,” Mitchell said. LIFELINE officials said they can move blood from hospital to hospital based on patient needs. LIFELINE Blood Services, at 183 Sterling Farms Drive in Jackson, will be open regular hours for the rest of the week, Thursday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please call 800-924-6572 or 731-427-4431. Also, blood donors may give blood this week at the following Community Blood Drives: Thursday, Feb. 26 Caywood Elementary, Lexington, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dyersburg Regional Medical Center, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 Walgreens, Savannah, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. West Carroll Elementary School, Trezevant, 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
