Vitalant preparing for upcoming MLK National Day of Service blood drive. (File photo)
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. For a third straight year, NewsChannel is partnering with Vitalant during for its annual MLK National Day of Service blood drive. We are urgent right now on all types, except for O-negative, where we re critical, so it s not great, said Mona Kleman, Vitalant Senior Manager Donor Recruitment. We hope to build it up next week and make the inventory more solid.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for blood is more urgent than ever before. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not seen a decrease in other medical problems that require blood transfusions, whether that be trauma, or ulcer disease, or cancers, said Dr. Eric Salinger, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Chief of Staff. People still need to have blood transfusions as part of their medical treatment so they can continue to have healthy lives.