Blood Drive by the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center

As you may have heard, there is a serious blood shortage due to COVID-19 concerns and the cancellations by large companies whose employees participate in blood drives and are significant and frequent donors.

There is a special blood drive set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Alamodome from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you are able to post this to encourage your members to donate, it would be greatly appreciated. We don’t need another public crisis!

Below is language the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is distributing to everyone they can to make an appeal to donors. please feel free to use any or all of the language, but encourage donors to make appointments.

“Just like you are considering your own work schedules and making sure you’re taking care of your children during the turbulence of the next few weeks, we also need you to consider your neighbors in need,” he said. “Your actions now really matter and can save lives.

With only a two-day supply and numerous drives canceled in recent days because of coronavirus concerns, please help spread the word: Healthy people are needed to donate, to help prevent a secondary public health crisis caused by the collapse of the blood supply. Already, local hospitals are being forced to postpone elective surgeries – and 600 units of blood are needed every day to help close the gap.

What’s a way your team members and contacts can donate blood while still following social distancing guidelines? Encourage them to give at the special blood drive set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Alamodome. With its wide-open spaces, the Alamodome allows for the recommended social distancing between donor beds as well as in waiting and check-in areas. The drive – as well as donations at South Texas Blood & Tissue Center donor rooms – will be by appointment only, to manage donor flow and avoid crowding.

Go to SouthTexasBlood.org/Give-Now or call 210-731-5590 to make an appointment, at the Alamodome drive or a donor room – they’re listed at SouthTexasBlood.org/give-now/locations-hours.

At a time when people are feeling powerless, giving blood is a way to help those in need – people needing surgery, accident victims, new mothers and their babies, cancer patients, and many more.
“Giving blood is a safe action you can take to make a difference,” said Dr. Samantha Gomez Ngamsuntikul, associate medical director at STBTC. “People are not at risk of contracting coronavirus, either through the donation process or receiving a blood transfusion, and we’re taking every precaution to ensure our donor rooms and bloodmobiles are a healthy environment.”

The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center has taken numerous precautions to keep donors safe. We’re also asking everyone to help spread the word on social media. Click for ourFacebook page, Twitter feed and Instagram.

Thank you for helping to support patients in our community.