On the back of the unusually chilly weather that the country had been experiencing, that too on the heels of the holiday period, blood supply in the Southern Blood Services Region managed to decrease manifolds.

The blood supplies of group O negative and B negative have hit emergency levels, and help is urgently required. Since blood type O negative can be used for any patient, irrespective of his or her blood group, it is very crucial that there is sufficient supply of the same.

Estimates say that every 2 seconds, someone in the US requires blood, and the Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region is responsible for providing blood to over 120 hospitals. Therefore, the organization must have at least 1,200 people donate blood and platelets every weekend in order to meet the demands of the hospitals effectively.

Every single day, accident victims as well as patients of life-threatening conditions like cancer and blood disorders receive blood transfusions, and there are absolutely no substitutes for blood.

The Red Cross is now encouraging people who are in good health to come forward and donate blood so the hospitals and patients do not fall short of supply.

People can safely donate blood every 56 days. Almost all healthy people aged 17 and above can donate blood, and 16 year olds can do so with parental consent.