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Community Blood Supply Reaches Critical Low

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-752437.mp3

Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Community Blood Center is reporting that its blood supply is at a critical level. KCUR's Elana Gordon has more.

The Community Blood Center serves about 70 hospitals throughout Kansas and Missouri. It requires a three-day supply of all blood types in order to meet the needs of those hospitals. Mary Kelley is a spokesperson for the center and says its blood supply is running low.

Kelley: Right now we we are at a critical shortage of blood, particularly type 'O' Positive and Negative, and 'A' Negative and B positive. Which means that we have less than a day's supply. And with type 'O,' less than a half day's supply."

Kelley says the shortage is due to the high number of traumas that happen during summer and holiday periods. She also says less people donate during the summer and that high school blood drives, which account for more than 10% of the overall supply, haven't started up yet.

Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

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