HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Health care facilities across the United States are facing a shortage of blood.
Oftentimes, health care workers use O-positive blood until they know the specific blood type of that patient. Currently, there is an urgent need for type O-positive blood.
Just as O-positive donations are important, other blood type donations are just as necessary in combating blood shortages
Each day, doctors with the University of Alabama at Birmingham are looking at their blood supply of O-positive blood and their surgery schedule, and each day there are impacts resulting in delayed surgeries because there is not enough blood available.
Supplies are at such shortages that it could be crippling in the event of a mass casualty situation.
UAB Hospital says it has rarely — if ever — seen its supply of blood this low. This is not a usual appeal to donate blood. This is an emergency.
"I think this is a issue that's affecting our community. It's affecting our communities across the state and really across the country. So, it is a widespread issue and we really need our community to really step up and really help us with this by donating blood," said UAB Trauma & Acute Care Surgery Division Director Jeff Kerby.
Again, no matter what blood type you have, all types of blood donations are encouraged.