Public service campaigns that remind Americans that donated blood is the gift of life are on target. Every day, tens of thousands of men, women and children across the country receive transfusions that help them recover from surgery, fight cancer and other diseases and recover from wounds or injuries. It is no exaggeration to say that the practice of 21st century medicine depends heavily on a stable and safe supply of donated blood.
For decades, the supply of donated blood matched or exceeded the need. There were occasional glitches in the supply system, to be sure, but they were generally transient and often related to seasonal shortages. Typically, though, supply and demand remained in balance. Unfortunately, that’s no longer true.
The need for blood now often outstrips available supplies. The reason is elementary. The country’s demand for donated blood continues to grow while the number of individuals willing to donate is static or in decline. Consequently, there is growing concern about the nation’s blood supply in coming years.
Chattanooga is typical. A Blood Assurance spokesman says there was a small decrease in the number of donors last year while the demand for blood remained generally steady or increased slightly. The situation is not critical yet, but it could be soon if the number of donors and the number of those needing transfusions continue to move in opposite directions.
Blood Assurance — which supplies donated blood to 52 hospitals in 32 area counties — collected almost 100,000 donations last year. That signals a gratifying willingness from area residents to donate, but even so Blood Assurance did not meet its goal for the year. The goal for this year remains unchanged from last. The agency, the spokesman said, currently is on schedule to meet or slightly exceed that goal.