SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Another critical need for blood donations here in Siouxland as LifeServe Blood Center is urging community members to donate blood as soon as possible.
This, after several massive transfusions took place in the past week in Des Moines area hospitals resulting in depleting supplies to a critically low level.
For context, an average blood drive collects 30 units of blood, whereas Des Moines patients this past week need anywhere from 10 to 50 units.
So why do donations in the tri-state area matter so much?
“LifeServe Blood Center serves more than 120 hospitals in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. We’re, you know, just one community blood center. We do have several donor centers in the Des Moines area, Sioux City, you know Marshalltown, Mitchell South Dakota. So when something affects one part of our service area, it really affects all of us,” said Clair DeRoin, the community relations director at LifeServe Blood Center.
And, the ongoing pandemic is further complication donation efforts.
“Not only are we seeing, you know, some of our usual blood drives are cancelling again due to, you know the resurgence of COVID 19 and the delta variant and we’re also seeing a lower donor turnout. So those two things alone are pretty serious and, you know, bad for the blood supply,” said DeRoin
According to LifeServe Blood Center, several blood types have less than a day’s worth of supply on shelves to meet patients’ needs.