Blood shortage

Last week, the American Red Cross had less than a one-day supply of blood available for distribution to the 120 hospitals it serves in the Missouri-Illinois region.

The organization tries to keep a five-day supply of blood and ordinarily has at least a three-day supply.

Blood donations always slow down in the summer, but April and May also were slack months, putting the Red Cross in the position of having to catch up.

The most recent drives were held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Scott City and at Hutson's Fine Furniture and Westfield Shoppingtown West Park in Cape Girardeau.

To counter the shortage, the Red Cross has opened its new blood donation center at 20. S. Mount Auburn Road from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

During a shortage, the Red Cross is forced to reduce the amount of blood area hospitals receive in case a major accident requires that large amounts of blood must go to a single hospital.

When it's needed, nothing is more precious than blood. Please give.