The article “Blood supply could dry up; Stricter rules make donating more difficult,” by Carl J. Panek (Perspective, Sept. 2), mistakenly claims that the Red Cross does not collect blood in the Chicagoland area. The Red Cross has been collecting blood in Chicago for more than three years and has a goal of 15,000 blood donations for this year.
Furthermore the Red Cross provides blood to many major hospitals in the Chicago area and continues to meet the needs of its hospitals and patients. At no point has a hospital supplied by the American Red Cross in the metropolitan Chicago area been asked to cancel a surgery due to a blood shortage.
We plan to keep it that way.
The American Red Cross has a simple and important mission: Get the right blood to the right patient at the right time–every time. The Red Cross is equally committed to the safety of the blood supply.
Accordingly the Red Cross will begin an expanded deferral of donors this month in order to protect the American blood supply from the emerging threat of mad cow disease, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE).
As a leader in the blood-banking industry, we are going above and beyond the deferral requirements mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because we believe the tightened restrictions are prudent and cautious to try to keep America’s blood supply as safe as possible.
The Red Cross recognizes that availability is an important part of blood safety. In spite of obstacles like the TSE deferral, we are confident that we can continue to serve the people in Chicago with the same safety and availability that they expect from one of the nation’s largest blood suppliers.
Recent projections indicate that we can expect 3 percent to 5 percent of donors to be deferred indefinitely because of our new policy. We also know that up to 95 percent of those eligible to donate blood do not share their gift of life.
We are calling on the people of Chicago to step forward to support the blood supply. The Red Cross is currently looking for organizations, businesses, schools, churches and other groups to sponsor blood drives. We are also encouraging everyone to give blood. In particular, we are reaching out to those who have never made a donation before.
Anyone who may be deferred from giving blood is also called upon to support the blood supply and patients in need by working as a blood-drive volunteer.
Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE for more information.
