Canberrans are asked to give blood as stocks hit urgent lows. Photo: Red Cross Lifeblood Facebook.
Canberrans are being urged to donate as Australian Red Cross Lifeblood launches its winter appeal to bolster blood and plasma supplies to address urgent shortages.
The organisation said 9500 O-type donors were needed in the next seven days to continue meeting patients’ needs as donation rates dropped.
Lifeblood’s Sally Deveson said Canberra needed more donors soon.
“We issue almost 200 blood transfusions and medications across Canberra every day … We generally need 250 donations daily, 150 plasma and 100 blood,” she said.
“You can see the impact of what we need. When we’re asking for 50 extra donations, it’s a fifth of what we need to collect. That’s massive.”
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One in three Australians will need blood in their life, but only one in 30 donate, according to Lifeblood.
Ms Deveson said the rate of Canberrans donating was above the national average at about five per cent, but more was needed.
“Nearly 50 per cent of people have an O-type blood, so the more people with it, the more people need it, so their donation will be going a long way,” she said.
Lifeblood urged Canberrans with O- and O+ blood types to donate and bolster levels at their lowest point since 2023. The group said its supplies were at an urgent low.
The organisation launched its annual Emergency Services Blood Drive on Tuesday 3 June in Sydney to boost donor rates. It will launch the campaign in Canberra on Friday 6 June.
NSW Minister for Police Yasmin Catley, joined by representatives from the state’s emergency services, praised donors.
“Our emergency services personnel are always first to put their hands up when lives are on the line – both in uniform and at the donor chair,” Ms Catley said.
Emergency services made 14,410 blood donations across Australia last year, saving more than 40,000 lives according to Lifeblood.
Director of Donor Relations at Lifeblood, Steven Eldridge, said the charity needed as many donors as possible to meet patient demand.
“Every day, we issue close to 10,000 blood products and medications to hospitals around the country to meet patient demand,” he said.
“We would love to see more people support our emergency services and join our movement of donors.
“We rely on the generosity of donors to help people undergoing cancer treatment, living with blood disorders, women giving birth, or people who’ve been involved in accidents.”
The charts don’t lie: Australia’s O+ and O- blood supplies are desperately low. Photo: Lifeblood.
Most adult Australians are eligible to donate blood. You have to be 18-75 years, weigh at least 50kg and be in good health. An online eligibility quiz is available if you’re uncertain.
You can donate blood every 12 weeks and plasma every two weeks. But some donor restrictions apply, including gay men, drug users and those with recent body art.
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Ms Deveson said anyone on the fence about donating should think about the impact.
“One hour of your time could give someone a lifetime and the ripple effect of impacting their family and friends. It’s a very easy one hour of your time to give to save lives,” she said.
“We have two donor centres and a mobile donor centre that goes around to points in Canberra, so there’s always somewhere within 20 minutes to donate. So we do make it easy.”
Canberra’s two permanent donation centres in Civic and Garran are among 90 across Australia. Or take advantage of the mobile blood van.
Call 13 14 95 or book online at lifeblood.com.au.
