Nebraska Community Blood Bank declares emergency shortage

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A three-day supply is all the Nebraska Community Blood Bank is working with at the moment.

For the first time this year, the main blood supplier for metro hospitals declared a blood emergency, meaning they are critically low on blood supply for the hospitals and patients they serve.

“Right now we are in urgent need of two types of blood. O negative and B negative,” said Robin Stewart with the Nebraska Community Blood Bank.

Ideally, it’d have a 7-day supply.

“We really want to have the blood on the shelves today for what happens tomorrow,” said Stewart.

The NCBB stocks the largest hospital system in the state, Nebraska Medicine. Nebraska Medicine’s lab manager said the shortage has not impacted them yet, but at this rate, it could soon. He said elective surgeries would be the first to go.

“The would be the first group impacted if the blood shortage does continue and we don’t have anything available,” said lab manager Brian White.

The shortage could impact hospitals as soon as the next week or in the next two weeks if people don’t donate, said White. Last year, a blood emergency was called twice.

“We’re sitting at about the same spot,” said White, comparing this year with last. “Right now it’s a critical need for O- blood. Yes it’s happened before. Great thing: we’re Nebraskans and we respond.”

Blood donated with the Nebraska Community Blood Bank stays local. Nebraskan people, helping Nebraskan patients.

For details time and location details of the blood bank, people can go to their website and schedule a time to donate.

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