A CHRONIC shortage of blood at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH)in Montego Bay, St. James has forced health officials to launch a desperate appeal for blood donations.
A press release from the Western Regional Health Authority yesterday said blood supply levels at the hospital remained critically low. The release quoted a hospital spokesman as saying "stocks of all types have gone very low and the Blood Bank in Kingston is unable to help."
At midday Tuesday, the hospital was said to be in possession of a mere 14 units of blood; 10 units of type O, one unit of type A positive and three units of B positive blood. There was no type B blood in stock. On average the regional hospital utilises up to 30 units of blood daily.
URGENT
The spokesman pointed out that "the situation is urgent as, in the event of a major accident, the amount of blood available would probably serve only one patient."
Hospital officials are making a desperate appeal to the public to render their assistance by making donations. Potential donors are being asked to call 952-5100 or 952-4466 to make arrangements for blood to be donated between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. And in a late report last night, the CRH said that it was forced to turn away some patients yesterday due to a shortage of water created by a broken main.
