Blood Bank of Hawaii

It's National Blood Donation week, but the Blood Bank of Hawaii is always collecting to increase its supply that's used across the state. It has less than a day's supply of Type O blood, which is the universal blood type used in emergency situations.

There is an urgent call for blood donations in Hawaiʻi. Kim-Anh Nguyen, the CEO of the Blood Bank of Hawaii, says the situation is scary coming out of the holiday weekend.

The Blood Bank of Hawaii is in urgent need of donors; Healing and hope for Hibiscus Drive residents; Maui axis deer are airport hazard; and drinking and driving and hamsters behind the wheel

The Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi is calling for blood donors as it experiences a critical shortage. All blood types are in short supply, but there is less than a one-day supply for Type B-Positive, O-Positive and O-Negative blood types.

Hawaiʻi has no more than a one-week supply of red blood cells and a three-day supply of platelets readily available for transfusions at any given time, the Blood Bank of Hawaii said. As the summer months bring fewer donations, donors are still needed.

The CEO of the Blood Bank of Hawaii Kim-Anh Nguyen on ensuring good science is driving patient decisions; marine biologist Mary Hagedorn from the University of Hawai'i Marine Biology Institute on the cryopreservation of coral; and local fashion icon Anne Namba on her journey from clothing designer to competitive athlete.

At any given time, Hawaii has about one week of red blood cells available for transfusion readily on hand. Dr. Kim-Ann Nguyen, President and CEO of the Blood Bank of Hawaii is on the show sharing how important blood donation is to keep the supply available and how this saves lives.