Merit Health Natchez Hosting a Community Blood Drive on August 12
NATCHEZ, Miss. –August 7, 2020 —Merit Health Natchez will be hosting a Community Blood Drive with the American Red Cross on Wednesday, August 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. All healthy individuals are encouraged to give blood now to ensure a steady supply for patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions, as well as to ensure hospitals have the blood needed to save lives.
Representatives with the American Red Cross will be located in a private area on the first floor of the hospital during the hours mentioned. You may register for this drive online at redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code, MHNatchez.
Type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency personnel reach for in trauma situations when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type. Type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh-positive or negative patients. The Red Cross is currently testing all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies.
“Merit Health Natchez is committed to strengthening our community and helping meet hospital and patient needs through blood donations,” said Lance Boyd, CEO of Merit Health Natchez. “This blood drive is our way of giving staff, colleagues and neighbors an opportunity to help save lives.”
The American Red Cross is the hospital's primary provider of blood services. The American Red Cross also has a national donor database which means that when a hospital needs a rare blood match, even when they are not the hospital's primary provider, the blood typically comes from an American Red Cross blood donor no matter where in the country that donor or recipient lives. Also, every line of service that American Red Cross offers is tied in together and nationwide. They are so much more than Blood. When there is a home fire or a tornado or hurricane, it is the American Red Cross who is there first.
Blood is a perishable product that can only come from volunteer blood donors. With someone in the United States needing blood every two seconds, blood products must be constantly replenished, according to the Red Cross.
“We urge you to consider donating to this blood drive and help ensure the patients in your local hospital have a supply of blood ready and waiting before an emergency occurs. Please register today at redcrossblood.org,” concluded Boyd.
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