O NEGATIVE AND B NEGATIVE blood type stocks are running dangerously low according to the Blood Bloard.
In order to meet demand, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (ITBS) needs to receive 3,000 donations a week.
However, just 3% of the population are giving blood regularly, meaning that supply is running short.
CEO of ITBS Andy Kelly is appealing for more people to make a special effort to donate blood, on this, World Blood Donor Day.
“O negative is a universal donor, anybody can get it in an emergency and that’s why it’s so useful, so we need more people to come in,” said Kelly.
He went on to stress that during summer, donations tend to dry up and he stressed that it was now more important than ever for people to come forward.
“But we need all blood groups to come in, particularly this time of year, because people go on holidays and it might not be in their donation cycle so our supply is poor and coming into the summer that’s not a good place to be,” he said.
“So we are asking people to make a special effort in this month, it genuinely does save lives and you can’t do a greater thing than that.”
For more information about giving blood, click here.
