Blood banks in urgent need of donors

Whole blood and platelets are needed to save lives

IN THE NEWS: Blood banks all over are seeing dwindling supplies and are urging anyone who can to donate.

Dr. Minh-Ha Tran leads transfusion medicine at UCI Health. He spoke with KNX Radio about the need.

“Group O are typically encouraged to give whole blood. And if people are of other types, we definitely need their blood cells as well, but we would ask them to consider also giving their platelets. We encourage all donors to give whole blood but also platelets as well.”

Tran is a professor of pathology at the UCI School of Medicine. He is also the medical director of transfusion medicine at UCI Health.

Tran specializes in blood banking and transfusion medicine. He has been named a physician of excellence by the Orange County Medical Association every year since 2017.

Read more

• KNX: Blood banks in need of donors [audio] ›
• Donating blood: What to expect ›
• Who can donate blood? ›