Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Lifeblood are in desperate need of O Negative blood this Easter...and for the next two weeks, according to spokesperson Jemma Falkenmire

Transcript

Lifeblood are in desperate need of O Negative blood this Easter...and for the next two weeks, according to spokesperson Jemma Falkenmire · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: But as I mentioned just a couple of moments ago,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: we do know that live blood well, there are reserves
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: of emergency OH negative blood type needed by accident and
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: trauma patients. It's dropped to their lowest in twelve months
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: for the first time. Life blood centers across the country
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: are going to open on Good Friday in a bid
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: to replenish those stores. Well, how's it going here in
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Joining us on the line right now
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: is Lifeblood spokesperson Jemma. Good morning to bang On. Let
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: me just make sure I've got that on. I believe
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: I've got Jenna. Good morning to you, Jenna, Jemma.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Hi Katie, how are you very well?
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: Sorry Jemma.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: How are things going in the Northern Territory at the
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: moment with the supply of blood, particularly OH negative.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so we've seen our suppliers of OH negative actually
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: drop nationally, including in the NT, to only one and
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: a half day supply, and that is ahead of too
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: long weekends. So we have seen quite a large number
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: of our donors unable to donate, but also quite high
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: demand from hospitals. So we are putting the call out
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  Speaker 2: for people to come and donate over the next two
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: weeks if they can and help us get those supplies
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: back up.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Wow, so you've only got the supply for one and
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  Speaker 1: a half days at this point.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And so the I guess this blood type, it's
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: really it's really difficult for us to recruit because it
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: only is six makes up six and a half percent
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: of the population actually probably a little bit less in
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: their NT and most people don't know their blood type.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, we're appealing for anybody out there who
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  Speaker 2: might be on exit to come in and donate. But
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  Speaker 2: it's used in emergency, so we need a lot of
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: it and we need to make sure we have good
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  Speaker 2: stocks of it on hand.
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  Speaker 1: And so you said some people don't know what blood
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  Speaker 1: type they are. Is that something that when they come
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  Speaker 1: in they're able to suss out? Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, So when you come in and donate, I guess
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  Speaker 2: there's a few benefits for you. Also, you will find
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  Speaker 2: out your blood type. We can let you know that
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  Speaker 2: fairly quickly after you donate, And I think it means
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: that when we do these appeals that you know, you
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: know that you're someone can that can step forward and help.
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  Speaker 2: There's also some easter eggs in it for anybody out
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  Speaker 2: there of any blood type who wants to come in
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  Speaker 2: and donate over the next two weeks. Our other bloods
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  Speaker 2: as types are also only a two day supply, so
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  Speaker 2: we welcome anyone.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, So it sounds like we really do need people
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  Speaker 1: to get in there and donate blood. Jemma, I understand
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: that for the first time ever, Territorians are actually able
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: to give blood on Good Friday.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so we actually have We actually have donus centers
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: across the country that will be we have various opening
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: hours over the long weekend and some census opening on
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  Speaker 2: Easter Friday for the very first time. We would encourage
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: people to call us on thirteen and fourteen ninety five
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  Speaker 2: to find out, you know, what spots are available or
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  Speaker 2: need feeling at the donor center in Darwin. We can't
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  Speaker 2: keep blood for a long time, so it sounds a
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: bit funny, but we actually have very particular days that
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: we need people to donate. So if you can get
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: in contact and we can book you in for a
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  Speaker 2: time that's needed. Yeah.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: Right, So how many people do we realistically need donating
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: over the next fortnite to avoid well, the possibility of
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  Speaker 1: running out?
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so Darlin particularly, we're looking for about two hundred donations,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: quite extra donations, quite urgently over the following fortnite. That
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: is just to meet the current need for blood. And
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: we do see blood demand spike over long weekends. Hospitals
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: can get quite busy, so those donations are really needed
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: to meet that need. And look, hopefully we have more
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: than that. Yeah, we would need more than that really
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: to get our stocks back up.
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: And look, it doesn't sound like a huge number.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: I know that there's sixty odd thousand people that listen
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  Speaker 1: to this show, so surely we can get two hundreds.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: Yes, hopefully. But look, and I think there's really no
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  Speaker 2: other option for people in hospital.
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  Speaker 3: We can't.
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  Speaker 2: We can't make the blood any other way. It's just
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  Speaker 2: people have to come in andtually donate. So and yes,
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: you only need one hour of your time sometime over
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  Speaker 2: the next two weeks.
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  Speaker 1: Jemma, are there certain criteria, like, you know, who can
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: donate blood?
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  Speaker 3: Can anybody donate blood? Yeah?
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  Speaker 2: I think that We've got a fantastic quiz on the
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  Speaker 2: front of our website which will take you through all
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  Speaker 2: of their eligibility requirements. So there is a lot of
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  Speaker 2: reasons you can't you can or can't donate to do
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  Speaker 2: with your health, or you know, there might be something
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  Speaker 2: a medication you're on and so we can't have your
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: donating for patients. All of those rules kind of do change,
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  Speaker 2: and most of them are temporary, but probably the big
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: ones are things like you know, taking aspirin is very
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: common reason why you can't. You can't take us room
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  Speaker 2: us before you donate.
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  Speaker 3: Blood.
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  Speaker 2: Travel is also something that impacts although you know finding
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: a lot of people haven't mean traveling, so they're able
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  Speaker 2: to doe, they're able to donate, but mostly if you're
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  Speaker 2: not feeling fit and well and healthy, that's the main
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  Speaker 2: thing that will prevent you from donating.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Well, look, I'm about to jump on the website now
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  Speaker 1: and have a little look. I've never donated blood, so
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: I need to have a look to see whether I
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  Speaker 1: am somebody who is eligible and who's able to do it.
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  Speaker 1: I think anybody out there listening, if you haven't done
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  Speaker 1: it like me, and you think that you know it's
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  Speaker 1: something you might be able to help with, well, certainly
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  Speaker 1: jump on that website liveblood dot com dot au and
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  Speaker 1: you'll be able to take that quiz Jemma, if there
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  Speaker 1: is anybody out there listening this morning who thinks do
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  Speaker 1: you know what I can help? I am exactly what
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  Speaker 1: you're looking for. I've done it before, but I haven't
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: done it for a while. What was that number again
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: that they can call through on.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so get in touch on thirteen, fourteen ninety five. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: we'd really love to hear from you. This is a
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: particularly challenging time for us. If you donate once this year, Liza,
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  Speaker 2: be it please, Oh good on you.
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: Jemma. A big shout out to all of you as
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  Speaker 3: well with Lifeblood. I know that it is.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: You know, it's a busy time and by the sounds
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: of things, quite a tough time when you do need
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: people to get out there and donate. So we really
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: appreciate you having a chat with us this morning.
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you so much for all your support for
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: you know, jumping on the website to find out if
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: you can donate. That's that's a huge step, so we
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: appreciate it.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: I'm about to have a look now, Jimma, so during
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: the ad break I'll find out whether I'm eligible or not.
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: Thank you, Thanks very much for your time.