In an effort to combat the nation’s waning blood supply, Touchette Regional Hospital will hold a mobile blood drive this upcoming March in the parking lot outside Touchette Elderly Apartments. In honor of National Blood Donor Month, registration for the drives is now open, and eligible donors are encouraged to sign up.
The blood supply shortage comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced many blood centers to delay or cancel blood drives as well as turn away potential donors. Without more donations, hospitals may be forced to delay essential blood and platelet transfusions. Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages who arrive in the emergency department due to accidents and burns as well as those who are undergoing surgery or need blood transfusions due to an illness and/or disease.
To meet patient needs for blood and blood components, most blood centers require more than 2,000 donations from volunteer blood donors every week. Each year those donations are used to help more than 200,000 patients in their recovery from illness or injury.
“The pandemic has created a shortage in blood supply due to the lack of blood drives and donor eligibility,” said Cora Hughes, Volunteer Services Manager and Blood Drive Coordinator. “We encourage anyone who is able to donate to do so and ensure that blood is always available to people who need it.”
General Guidelines for Blood Donation
"If you want to lend a hand, lend an arm which is the best gift you can give,” said Hughes.
For more information about blood donation or to register for one of the upcoming mobile blood drive, please contact Cora Hughes at (618) 332-5289 or go online https://login.bloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/106487.
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About Touchette Regional Hospital
Touchette Regional Hospital has proudly served the communities of the metro-east for more than 60 years. We offer 24-hour Emergency Department, Intensive Care, Cardiopulmonary, Laboratory, Radiology, Medical Specialty Services, Transportation, Sleep Center, Physical Therapy, Senior Care Services, Start Now Breast Cancer Awareness Program, Home Healthcare, Special Needs Dentistry for children, and Behavioral Health (inpatient and outpatient). For more information, visit www.touchette.org.