Roll up your sleeves, Australia.
The Australian Red Cross blood service has issued an emergency nation-wide call for blood donations, with supplies of the universal O negative type blood dangerously low.
The service reports that O negative blood stocks have reached the lowest point this year, with the blood service needing 5,000 people to donate in order to meet hospital demand.
This is, in part, due to a bad flu season, with as many as 1,300 donors a day calling to cancel appointments. Overall, reserves have fallen to less than two days’ supply.
Blood Service spokesperson Helen Wash said: “We are urging first-time and regular O negative donors to roll up their sleeves and give blood in order to boost supplies.
“We need 5,000 O negative donations over the next two weeks to meet this demand.
“If you are O negative, someone in your family could be too.”
One in three Australians will require blood in their lifetime. One in 30 Australians gives blood each year, with each donation having the capacity to save up to three lives.
To make an appointment to donate or find out more info you can visit the Australian Red Cross Blood Service website.
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Written by Brynn Davis
Images: Getty
