Red Cross ACT blood donation extended opening hours as Canberra runs low, O- type wanted

ACT's supply for the universal blood type O negative, which can be received by anyone, dipped to one-and-a-half days' worth last week, Jemma Falkenmir from NSW/ACT Red Cross said.

"There's been a couple of accidents in Canberra over the last 12 months where it's taken 80 to 100 [blood donations] to save a person's life who's been in an emergency," she said.

"In Canberra, that's almost a day supply."

Recent flooding in NSW and the continuing pandemic has impacted blood supply levels.

Red Cross has extended clinic opening hours from the Easter weekend to ANZAC Day and are asking for 500 Canberrans to donate blood.

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They are particularly calling for those with negative or positive O blood types.

Ms Falkenmir said the number of territorians with O negative type blood has dropped to 6.5 per cent over the last few decades.

This is largely because of increased migration from Asia, where people are more likely to have positive type blood.

"It is making it difficult for us to recruit negative donors now and into the future," she said,

While nine per cent of new blood donors in Canberra have O negative blood, it is required for 16 per cent of hospital orders.

It is stored in emergency helicopters and ambulances, where paramedics may not know a person's blood type.

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People with O positive type blood - up to 40 per cent of the population - are also being called to help. Canberra's O positive blood supplies dropped down to two days' worth of supply last week.

"The biggest challenge is that we still see at least half of people out there who have no idea what their blood type is," Ms Falkenmir said.

"If you don't know your blood type, you wouldn't know that we needed your help right now."

She said one of the best ways to work out your blood type is by donating, or getting a blood test from your GP.

People with O negative and O positive blood types who cannot donate should encourage family members to book in, because it is likely they have the same blood type.

There is also more demand in Australia for plasma than ever before.

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood and is commonly used for trauma and burn patients.

"It is [also] used for a lot of new medical treatments," Ms Falkenmir said.

"Cancer patients and people who don't have naturally strong immune systems, those people have been very vulnerable during the pandemic and plasma has been really important for them."

Most healthy adults aged between 18 and 75 old who weigh over 50 kilograms are able to donate blood or plasma.

People who are queer, have recently had a tattoo, have a heart condition, are low in iron or have recently travelled overseas may still be able to donate blood or plasma.

Visit lifeblood.com.au, download the Donate Blood app or call 13 14 95.

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