More than 1,700 people made appointments with Memorial Blood Centers (MBC) to donate blood since Wednesday morning as they looked for ways to help following the shooting at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis.
The St. Paul-based blood donor agency said in a statement that it is “overwhelmed” by the support. It normally schedules 260 appointments per day. At least 395 people were first-time donors.
MBC provided 252 units of blood, platelets and plasma to HCMC, Children’s Minnesota and other hospitals in response to the shooting. HCMC received 10 of the victims and Children’s received seven.
Dr. Tom Wyatt, HCMC’s chair of emergency medicine, said usage of donor blood was “pretty substantial” Wednesday in treating gunshot wounds. Dr. Aaron Robinson, assistant medical director of Hennepin Healthcare Emergency Medical Services, encouraged donations and said “there’s an incredible shortage” of donor blood that has left hospitals with “few days on hand in the entire state.”
MBC issued a statement advising people not to contact the hospitals directly to donate, and instead make appointments at MBC.org. The American Red Cross also supplies donor blood for Minnesota hospitals and is taking appointments at redcrossblood.org.
Blood shortages typically emerge in the summer, but MBC declared an emergency this month when it only had a two-day inventory on hand, below the seven-day supply needed to guarantee it could meet the needs of hospitals and patients.
