Emergency Blood Drive Thursday at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital

Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in Patchogue is hosting an emergency blood drive on Thursday in an effort to replenish blood supplies in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. 

There will be two busmobiles at the hospital (located at 10 Hospital Road) from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m; one parked near the emergency room and the other on the opposite side of the hospital. 

The drive will be run by the New York Blood Center (NYBC), whose officials said that although hospital blood needs in the state were met following the hurricane, "the unprecedented disruption depleted the blood supply to the point where a significant recovery effort is necessary." 

The need for blood is constant, whatever the weather or holiday. The shelf life of platelets is only five days; the shelf life of red blood cells is 42 days.  About one in seven people entering a hospital needs blood, the NYBC said in a press release. 

“We’ve faced similar situations before, though admittedly not as bad as Hurricane Sandy,” NYBC Vice President Rob Purvis said. “Our neighbors came through for hospital patients then, and replenished the blood supply. We need them to step up again, and schedule an appointment to donate life-saving blood.”