SAN ANTONIO — Hospitals nationwide are on the verge of facing a healthcare crisis as blood supply remains low amid soaring demand.
The need for blood in South Texas has risen by 20% while donations have increased by just 2%, according to officials with the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center.
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center reports the life-saving fluid is desperately in demand, making it difficult to accommodate every request for supply.
“There are patients in our community that need blood to survive,” Gomez said.
There were 1,000 fewer blood drives last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr. Samantha Gomez, the center’s associate medical director, said the critical shortage has led to triaging available blood supply.
“Every day, we look at all of the orders from our hospitals. We look at the available inventory. We also communicate daily with our hospitals to find out who needs blood urgently,” Gomez said.
Among those patients include Melodie Vise, who experienced a life or death situation as she was expecting her third child in 2017. Vise now works with the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center in helping recruit donors.
“I woke up one morning at home and realized that I was having a miscarriage and within a couple of hours, my situation had become pretty critical. I had lost over half of my blood volume,” Vise said.
The gift of life ended up saving Vise after her husband rushed her to the hospital.
“Although I will never know who that amazing donor was that came in and took time out of their day to give that donation to make sure that the hospital had that blood there for me when I needed it, I’m forever grateful to that person,” Vise said.
University Hospital trauma surgeon Dr. Donald Jenkins stressed blood is vital to performing successful kidney and live transplants. Jenkins shared a story of how blood recently saved one woman in crisis.
“Had a young woman, mother of three in a horrifying car crash over the weekend whose life was saved because she got blood in a helicopter on the way to us and blood from us in our trauma center,” Jenkins said.
People can schedule a blood donation by visiting SouthTexasBlood.org or calling 210-731-5590.
University Hospital’s donor center can also be reached at 210-358-2812.
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