The significant need for ‘negative’ blood type donations persists across Kentucky. The Kentucky Blood Center’s Martha Osborne says only about 15 percent of the general population carries a negative blood type, adding only about seven percent are ‘O’ negative. She says the blood center serves some 70 hospitals in central and eastern Kentucky.
“They transfused more blood in the month of July, for instance, than we have in over two years. So, there’s been a fairly good increase in the amount of ‘O’ negative blood needed and not as many donors have turned out.” --Martha Osborne
Osborne says there were an unusually high number of blood transfusions during July at the 70 hospitals served by the Blood Center. She says there’s a particular need for ‘O’ negative blood.
“O negative blood types can go to positive blood types for transfusions and the reverse is not true, so in the event of an emergency when there is no time for a cross match, the doctors are gonna reach for ‘O’ negative because that can go to anyone without typing and cross matching,” added Osborne.
Osborne also says the Blood Center is operating with regular hours and blood drives are scheduled well in advance.