BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – Bloodworks Northwest has declared what it calls a ‘code red’ emergency due to a blood shortage.
A code red is declared after four consecutive days of blood inventory being at emergency levels.
The local nonprofit said it needs tens of thousands of blood donation appointments. Less than half the appointments needed to maintain a safe and reliable blood supply have been booked, according to Bloodworks Northwest’s Meg Hall, who says the winter months traditionally mean donations are down due to the holidays, bad weather, and vacations, among other things.
“Right now, we are struggling with inventory levels for blood for the local hospitals due to all those reasons, in addition to emergency request from across the country, due to severe weather events and other crises that are happening. And the inventory levels are not at a place where the local hospitals want them to be, to make sure that they have what they need, when they need it.”
Specifically, type O positive, type O negative, and platelets have been fluctuating between critical and emergency levels since early December, and demand for blood remains high at hospitals throughout the Northwest.
What can our community do to help? Bloodworks NW is urging everyone who is eligible and feeling healthy to help fill immediate appointments to donate at a donor center or blood drive near you.
“There are a good number of mobile donation opportunities across the Olympic Peninsula, in Port Angeles, in Sequim in Port Townsend. So you can go to the Bloodworks website and find a location near you. We have a donor portal that’s easy to get to, and you can look at a map and see what is closest to you, easy to use for your schedule.”
We looked it up for you, and found that there will be a donation event at Peninsula College on February 11 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and another at Sequim Elks Lodge on February 22 from 9am – 3:00pm.
For more information or to book an appointment, go to bloodworksnw.org. Appointments can also be made by calling 800-398-7888.