Good Samaritan Hospital To Hold Emergency Blood Drive

WEST ISLIP, NY — A local hospital is doing its part against the state blood donation shortage.

Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, in partnership with the New York Blood Center (NYBC), is hosting a blood drive on Monday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 1000 Montauk Highway in West Islip.

Earlier this month, NYBC announced a state blood emergency due to an alarming drop in blood donations. According to a press release, the region’s blood supply currently stands at just a 2 to 3 day level, which is well below the ideal inventory of 5-7 days.

It only takes one hour to donate, NYBC said, and a single donation can save multiple lives.

Roughly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion. Those in need include: cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, and many other health issues.

Donors must wear a mask while in the hospital. People and are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms.

Good Samaritan Hospital has been an enormous help in NYBC’s fight to replenish the blood supply after two very difficult years.

NYBC said that Good Samaritan Hospital has been an enormous help to replenish blood supply. Throughout the past 20 years, The hospital’s blood drive chairperson, Georgeine Bellando, has helped to collect 18,430 units of blood, which helped to save more than 50,000 lives.

This will be Bellando's last blood drive, NYBC said, as she is retiring.

To make an appointment to donate, click here or call 800-933-2566.

To learn more about donor eligibility and COVID-19 precautions, click here.