Oklahoma Blood Institute Reports Blood Supply Shortage

A shrinking blood supply has left the Oklahoma Blood Institute in a tight situation. 

Sickness cold and flu are all ways to disqualify oneself from being able to donate blood.

Still, the blood from one donation is enough to save up to 3 lives. There are enough dangerous flu cases floating around that OBI staff aren't allowing anyone who isn't feeling well to donate.

According to the Blood Institute, a large number of donors are also students and with Spring Break right around the corner, many of them may not have time to donate.

Typically, the OBI maintains a three to five day supply for local hospitals. That is no longer the case.

CEO of the OBI, John Armitage says, “We’re looking at about a 2 day supply right now and verging  on going to a one day supply so we want to bring that up to make sure if there are any big accidents or any big events we are prepared with all the blood we need.”

They depends on an average of 1,200 donors per day to meet the needs of their patients.

If you want to help you need to be at least 16-years-old to donate.

OBI staff say they are in particular need of donors with RH negative or O type blood.