Missouri health professionals are urging people to donate blood this month to prevent seasonal shortages, reports St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
According to Joe Zydlo, a regional spokesman for American Red Cross, people often cancel appoints to donate blood in the winter due to severe weather or holiday obligations.
According to the report, recent snow storms have slowed donations across the country.
"We're in a time right now where it's critical to collect blood and platelets," Mr. Zydlo said.
Rhonda Cooke, MD, a pathology specialist at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters (Mo.) Hospital, said it's a constant battle to maintain enough blood supplies to meet demand at the hospital.
"If we don't have the products to give, patients may die," Dr. Cooke told St. Louis Post-Dispatch in an email. "This is a critical public safety issue."
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