By Eleanor Wilson
Narre Warren’s pop-up blood donor centre is open to donors once again, coinciding with the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s urgent call out for blood on Tuesday 31 May.
The pop-up clinic at Narre Warren North Hall is open until Friday 10 June and is operating on extended opening hours.
Over the next week 17,500 blood donors are needed nationally, including 4500 donors in Victoria alone, to bolster a dissipating blood supply, Lifeblood says.
Lifeblood executive director Cath Stone said cancellations and no shows from a burgeoning peak of Covid and influenza means it may have as little as two days blood supply left.
“We are pleading with anyone who is well and healthy to book a donation today and encourage your friends and family to do the same,” she said.
Ms Stone said Lifeblood continues to see up to half of all appointments cancelled.
“We have 15,500 blood donations booked in for the next week, but based on current cancellations and no-shows, we know a large number of these won’t result in a donation. And we still have thousands of appointments that need to be filled.”
Narre Warren North session leader Joe Tanner concurred the pop-up centre had seen some cancellations due to the cold and flu season, but said they also had donors book appointments after hearing about the call out.
“We’ve had a few who came in from seeing the call out on Facebook and the radio, so it is nice to know donors respond to that kind of stuff,” Mr Tanner said.
At the Narre Warren centre on Thursday 2 June, first time donor Kate Lee said Lifeblood’s call-out gave her the push to donate.
“I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time and obviously the call out spoke of needing blood donors, so I thought why not,” she said.
Fellow donor Joanne McKie said she has been a donor for 12 years and visits the Narre Warren centre when it pops up every few months.
“I’m O negative meaning I’m a universal donor, so they love me when I come here,” Mrs McKie said.
Lifeblood pop-up centres have recently increased to 18 clinics across Victoria, including a number operating across the South-East in the coming months:
Narre Warren North Hall: Monday 30 May to Friday 10 June
Cranbourne West Community Hub: Monday 13 June to Wednesday 29 June
St Mary’s Community Centre, Dandenong: Monday 4 July to Friday 8 July
Pakenham Library Community Hall: Monday 18 July to Friday 29 July
To book an appointment, call 13 14 95 or head to lifeblood.com.au
