Nebraska Blood Bank Faces Critical Shortage, Declares Emergency

The Nebraska Community Blood Bank is now only working with a three-day supply.

For the first time this year, the main blood supplier for metro hospitals declared a blood emergency, indicating a significant shortage of blood for the hospitals and patients they serve.

“Right now, we have an urgent need for two types of blood. “O negative and B negative,” explained Robin Stewart of the Nebraska Community Blood Bank.

Ideally, it would have a seven-day supply.

“We want to have the blood on the shelves today for what happens tomorrow,” Stewart went on to say.

The NCBB serves Nebraska Medicine, the state’s largest hospital system. The lab manager at Nebraska Medicine stated that the scarcity has not yet affected them, but at this rate, it will. He stated that elective procedures would be the first to go.

“They would be the first group impacted if the blood shortage persists and we don’t have anything available,” said lab manager Brian White.

If people do not give, the scarcity might affect hospitals within the next week or two weeks, according to White. Last year, a blood emergency was declared twice. “We’re sitting about the same spot,” White remarked, comparing this year to last. “There is currently an urgent need for O-blood. Yes, it has happened before. “Great thing: we are Nebraskans, and we respond.”

The Nebraska Community Blood Bank keeps blood donations local. Nebraskans, assisting Nebraskan patients.

People can visit the blood bank’s website to organize a donation time and location.