Orange Park, FL — Facing an urgent need for blood donations amid the pandemic, LifeSouth is hosting an emergency blood drive on Tuesday, November 3, from 10 am to 6 pm at the Orange Park Medical Center on Kingsley Avenue.
LifeSouth is asking all blood donors, especially type O (positive and negative) donors, to please come and donate, and is reminding the public that it is safe to donate blood.
Right now, LifeSouth has a critically low supply of type O blood, which is the most transfused type and critical for accident and trauma patients.
Blood donations have continued to decline nationwide, though hospitals have mostly resumed normal operations. Many who regularly hold blood drives have been unable to host them due to COVID-19, and LifeSouth worries that patient care at local hospitals may be affected if donations do not increase.
“We are in dire need of blood donors, especially those with type O blood, as patients in our local hospitals rely on blood to survive,” said JD Pettyjohn, vice president of operations for LifeSouth. “There is no substitute for blood donations, making blood donors so important.”
Other opportunities to donate blood this week include:
· Orange Park Medical Center In-Patient Rehab Center, Nov 2 from 9 am to 5 pm.
· Green Cove Springs City Hall, Nov 3 from 10 am to 6 pm.
Click HERE to schedule an appointment or find the closest blood center or blood drive near you. Participants can also call LifeSouth’s toll-free number at 1-866-795-2707.