More blood vans needed

Demand for blood in city hospitals is up, yet blood supply is dangerously low. High gas prices make potential givers unwilling to drive to blood donation sites and the hot weather has led to fewer donations at facilities without air conditioning, such as churches, said Harvey Schaffler, vice president of the New York Blood Center (NYBC).
One effective way to solve this problem is to reach more donors by expanding the city’s mobile blood center program and on Tuesday, August 12, the NYBC made a general appeal for more blood vans.
Getting more vans will ease this situation; it will help reach more people because there many New Yorkers who might want to donate but do not have access to any of the city’s eight blood donation sites, said Schaffler.
“We need to stop the boom and bust cycle of blood donation and more mobile vans will do that,” said Councilmember Eric Gioia. “New Yorkers have generous hearts, we just need to make it easier for them,” he explained.
Recent advances in medicine have increased the need for blood, so one out of three people require a life-saving blood transfusion in their life and each donation can save up to three lives, according to NYBC’s web site.