Hannah Hammoud
Lifeblood is issuing an urgent call for blood and plasma donors, including those in Hume and Whittlesea with 3600 people needed to donate blood this week.
The call is particularly for donors with A positive, B positive, O Positive and O Negative blood types.
Lifeblood Executive Director Cath Stone said despite record numbers of people donating blood and plasma, demand from hospitals is at its highest level in nearly a decade.
“We now have more donors than at any point in the past 10 years, however demand for all blood groups, especially O Negative continues to increase as hospitals catch up on surgeries post-pandemic,” she said.
Ms Stone said donors of all blood types were needed every day of the year, but these certain blood groups being called for make up about 90 per cent of the Australian population.
“With one in three of us needing donated blood or blood products in our lifetime, the life you save could be that of a friend or family member,” she said.
Lifeblood is encouraging people to book a donation between Good Friday and Easter Monday to ensure an ongoing supply of blood and plasma for patients during what is often one of the most challenging times of the year.
“The need for blood is often unplanned and urgent and Easter is often a time when many of our donors take a break,” Ms Stone said.
This year more than 40 donor centres around the country will be open on Good Friday, including the Bundoora Donor Centre, Level 1, 19-21 Copernicus Crescent, from 8am-3.30pm.
Craigieburn is also set to accept blood donations from May 16 at a pop-up donor centre located inside the Hume Global Learning Centre.
Details: 13 14 95, lifeblood.com.au or Donate Blood mobile app.
