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Blood shortage photo shows extreme need for donations in San Antonio

The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center shared a picture on social media to drive home the point that there's a serious crisis looming this summer.

SAN ANTONIO — There's an extreme shortage of San Antonio's blood supply. Empty shelves show what would lead south Texas to a major crisis this summer. 

The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center shared a photo of the lack of supply on social media – to drive home the extreme need for blood donations.

The center says the hospital system is already short on blood – so they're asking people to come forward and help. You could get a Fiesta medal while you donate.

Orders for blood from hospitals increased at a rate of 10 times higher than an increase in donations over the past year.

UPDATE: Photo taken today of the shelves at your local blood bank. We have less than a day supply of O- on-hand, the...

Posted by Connect for Life on Tuesday, June 8, 2021

While the center saw a 2% increase in donations over the past year, orders for blood increased 20%. There were 1,000 fewer blood drives because of the pandemic.

As we head into summer, the center already tends to see a drop in blood donations. But the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center says it's impacting the hospital system by putting a strain on the services they provide.

They held a news conference with leaders from UT Health and Methodist Healthcare System about how the shortage is impacting their hospitals.

You can donate blood – even if you've been vaccinated. And if you've done it recently, you can give again *if* two months have passed.

To sign up for an appointment or to schedule a blood drive, click here.

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