Blood donors are desperately needed over the holiday season between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve, the Red Cross says.
The blood bank needs 6,800 additional blood donations between Christmas and New Year to avoid a national shortage over the festive season.
“It can be a challenging time for blood supplies as the need for blood doesn’t stop over the holiday period,” Australian Red Cross Lifeblood executive director of donor services Cath Stone said on Tuesday.
While donors responded to a call out in record numbers last month the need for short-lived platelets is constant.
“Platelets only last for five days so we’re unable to stockpile them ahead of long weekends or busy periods,” Ms Stone said.
Blood donations from four people are needed to make just one dose of platelets to help cancer patients recover from their treatments.
Road crash victims, people undergoing surgery and women experiencing complications during childbirth also rely on blood donations.
The period between Boxing Day and 2 January is when platelet stocks are under the most pressure.
Many blood donor centres around the nation will be open between Christmas and New Year.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross says people in Wollongong, Sydney and the Central Coast of NSW can continue giving blood under certain conditions after a coronavirus outbreak in the state.
But donors from Sydney’s Northern Beaches – the epicentre of the outbreak – are being told to stay at home, in line with a government directive.
To check opening hours or to book a donation visit lifeblood.com.au, call 13 14 95 or download the Donate Blood app.
