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Blood needed to help injured Haitians
| Article published on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 |
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ST. PETERSBURG - Florida Blood Services says it need donors to help heal the injured Haitians arriving at hospitals in the Tampa Bay area.
A C-130 plane landed at Tampa International Airport Wednesday night with 28 more traumatized patients from Haiti, according to a press release from FBS.
"This arrival put Florida Blood Services on notice that local hospitals with emergency rooms would continue to receive Haitians who were severely injured in the recent earthquake there," the press release said.
FBS provides for all of the blood needs of patients at Tampa Bay area medical facilities.
Florida Blood Services is contributing to a national effort to provide blood and blood products to support patients in Haiti. Working in coordination with AABB’s Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism, shipments of blood from Florida Blood Services have been sent to Haiti to help those in need.
"We are ready and able to assist the blood needs of these injured neighbors both here and in Haiti, as well as to meet the blood needs of all patients at our local hospitals," said J.B. Gaskins, FBS South West vice president of Donor Systems, "but we can only do so through the selfless gift of our blood donors. Blood usage in our area is always highest in January and this disaster has created additional demand. We encourage all eligible donors, particularly those with universal type O blood, as well as types A and B negative to donate as soon as possible so that we can continue to save lives."
Generally, healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can be blood donors. Identification is required prior to donation.
For more information or to find donation locations, please call 1-800-68BLOOD (25663) or visit www.fbsblood.org.
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Article published on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010
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