Special drives are planned during the remainder of October to help University Hospital deal with a chronic shortage of blood supplies.
Officials attribute much of the shortage to unfounded public fears about the possibility of contracting AIDS through blood donation.The hospital uses about 10,000 units of blood and blood products annually. The fears have caused the number of donors to drop several percentage points each year, said Ellen Fisher, supervisor of the hospital's Blood Donor and Apheresis Center.
In addition to the regular weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the center has scheduled a number of other times and locations to help make donating blood easy.
Donors may call the center at 581-2686 to make an appointment to give blood on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The following other special drives are scheduled:
- Monday, Oct. 28, Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, 5335 S. Highland Drive, 2-8 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 31, Ballif Hall, U. campus, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While all blood types are requested, O-negative blood is urgently needed.
"This is a very generous community. When we make an appeal for blood, Utahns come forward to donate," said Fisher, who asked that people keep in mind year-round the need to donate blood.