By Daily Press staff
For the first time in almost two years, Southern California is at risk of a life-threatening blood shortage.
Emergency workers are pleading for people to donate blood immediately.
Blood shortages already have reached crisis levels in other parts of the country. The New York Blood Center is reporting the worst shortage in history.
Currently, there is less than a one day supply of types O and B blood. A five-day supply of blood is considered optimal.
In Southern California, the American Red Cross imports from other states about 40 percent of the blood used for hospital patients. However, blood centers elsewhere have curtailed blood shipments to Southern California because of the shortages in their own communities.
To compensate for this shortfall of imports, more blood must be collected locally. Unfortunately, as in other parts of the country, blood donations are down. Since the holidays, blood collections in Southern California have plummeted to 70 percent of projections. The American Red Cross is appealing to local residents to donate blood immediately to avert a crisis. Local hospital patients need more than 16,000 units of blood every week To donate blood, people can call 1-800- GIVELIFE to schedule an appointment.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 16, 2003. Read the original PDF.