News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Michigan hospitals facing blood shortage

Flickr User MrsGardiner1
/
https://flic.kr/p/9idSvP

Michigan hospitals throughout the state are experiencing a critical shortage of blood.

Blood supplies are typically low in the summer, because high school students, who make up a bulk of donations,  are on break.

But this year blood supplies are so low blood banks are issuing an emergency call.

Brig Cutter is with Versiti (ver-CITY) Blood Center.

He says recently one Michigan hospital only had a half day’s worth of ‘O’ blood on reserve.

“This summer we are getting dangerously close. And we just felt that it would be most appropriate to issue an emergency appeal and make sure we are always there for those scary times for when we need to be there.”

Cutter says Versity is making more calls to its donor list… and is sending its mobile blood center on the road.