Because of a shortage of blood, three hospitals in northeast Georgia have been asked by their blood supplier to postpone elective surgeries until at least Wednesday.
They are Union Genral in Blairsville, Fannin Regional in Blue Ridge, and Chatuge Regional in Hiawassee. Cartersville-based Blood Assurance is also asking other hospitals in north Georgia that it serves to do the same. It listed severe weather and the need for transfusions as the reasons for the shortage. Blood Assurance also serves hospitals in four other southern states. Systemwide, 70 hospitals of them are being asked to postpone elective surgeries.
While it has not asked for a postponement of surgeries, LifeSouth, which has a donation center in Gainesville, appealed for donors ten days ago because of a shortage of donations blamed on the weather. LifeSouth: Urgent need for blood 97.5 Glory FM | North Georgia’s Family Radio Station (wgtjradio.com)
And, the Red Cross says the nation is facing its worst shortage of blood in 20 years, noting a 40 percent decline in the number of donors in recent weeks.