Two upcoming Hawaii Island blood drives will give residents the chance to donate life-saving blood that is vital for emergencies and medical procedures that occur daily in local hospitals.
According to the Blood Bank of Hawaii, only 2% of Hawaii residents donate blood, and more donors are needed. On average, local hospitals require 250 donors a day to meet the need.
“(On Thursday), there were 233 units of blood issued in one day. There are more accidents, stabbings and craziness happening every day, on top of the regular need for hospital patients,” said Donor Recruitment Account Manager Traci Takehara. “It’s even more important to make sure people who live here donate, because in Hawaii, we don’t have other states next-door. If there is a huge emergency and a short supply, there isn’t a guarantee that there will be enough.”
O-negative blood is the universal blood type because it can safely be received by anyone, regardless of their blood type. It’s the most common blood type used in transfusions when a patient’s blood type is unknown in trauma situations.
“We ideally look for people with O types of blood, but truly the type that’s needed can change on a daily basis depending on who is in the hospital,” Takehara said. “One great part about donating blood is that you don’t need to know what type of blood you have, but you can learn for free through the process.”
According to Takehara, there are some public misconceptions about who can and can’t donate blood, as several restrictions have been lifted due to policy changes in donor eligibility at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Last year, the FDA updated its policies and eliminated questions based on sexual orientation that barred men who have had sexual contact with other men from donating blood. Now there is a single question that asks if the donor has had a new partner in the last three months.
Another common misconception is about those who recently have gotten tattoos, but in Hawaii, people with tattoos can donate blood at any time as long as their tattoo was done at a state-regulated shop.
“We have a page on our website that has all the information on eligibility and frequent questions asked when it comes to travel, medications and other disorders,” Takehara said. “Some people also think that because they smoke or drink that their blood is dirty, but that is not necessarily the case. There are also several medications that are perfectly fine and still allow a person to donate.”
Regardless of donors’ questionnaire answers, a sample is taken from each donation and tested for dangerous diseases before the blood is used in patients. If there are issues during testing, the donation is safely disposed of, and the donor is notified.
“A donor may not know that there is something going on, and sometimes this is how they find out,” Takehara said. “This is truly another benefit, because you never know when something may happen between doctor appointments. Donating blood can be a great way to get a check up on your body.”
A three-day drive will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 522 Ponahawai St., in Hilo from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.
The Hilo dates are almost full, but there are still open slots on Thursday. For those wanting to donate before the end of the year, the Blood Bank of Hawaii will be on Hawaii Island one more time for a blood drive in Kailua-Kona in October.
The Kona blood drive will be at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 75-230 Kalani St., from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16, and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.
According to BBH, donations from Hawaii Island will help ensure stable blood supply across the state, with each donation having the potential to save up to three lives.
BBH encourages anyone with questions about eligibility and regulations to check the website or call (808) 848-4745. For more information about upcoming blood drives or to schedule an appointment, visit bbh.org.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.