INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Blood Center is issuing an urgent plea to help fill their shelves as their blood supplies run critically low heading into the holidays.
Blood center staff members say they may have to postpone surgeries or other life-saving procedures if they aren’t able to fill their shelves soon.
Supplies are so low that some of their hospitals are currently on “back order,” meaning they aren’t even carrying enough blood to fill one day’s needs.
Supplies of Type O-negative, the highest in demand, are running the lowest.
O-negative is the only universal blood type, meaning any patient can receive it no matter what their type. But they are in need of all blood types.
This isn’t the first time this year that supplies have been critically low. Over the summer, staff said they found themselves working with low supplies and they have not fully recovered them since.
“This summer we did find ourselves at a critically low situation, and the summer is another challenging time. We’ve been trying to rebuild our inventory since then,” said Andrea Fagan.
The Blood Center accepts walk-in donors or you can schedule your appointment online.
The four major blood types are:
- Type A
- Type B
- Type AB
- Type O
No matter where you are in central Indiana, there should be an Indiana Blood Center location nearby.
- Schedule in Avon - Hendricks Regional Health YMCA, 301 Satori Parkway
- Schedule in Carmel - 726 Adams Street, Suite 150
- Schedule in Columbus - 1706 Hawcreek Avenue (adjacent to Columbus Regional Health)
- Schedule in Downtown Indianapolis- 3450 North Meridian Street
- Schedule in Fishers - 7458 East Fishers Station Drive
- Schedule in Greenwood - 8739 South U.S. Highway 31
- Schedule in Lafayette - 2200 Elmwood Avenue, Suite D-16
- Schedule in Muncie - 1609 West McGalliard Road
- Schedule in Terre Haute- 2021 South Third Street
