Four Corners faces shortage of blood donations

FARMINGTON, N.M. — Ever since 2020, blood donations have dropped across New Mexico. The Four Corners is not immune to this shortage.

 “We are in a critical need, so that means that we roughly have two days of blood supply on our hospital shelves,” said Evelyn Rosado, communications manager for Vitalant.

Rosado added that supply should be between four to seven days – and to make matters worse, blood donations usually drop 30% in the summer. 

“People are out and they are traveling they are not coming in and they are not donating and weather is also a factor…  obviously in New Mexico, we’re in monsoon season so people generally don’t want to go out in 65 mile an hour winds,” Rosado said.

It’s forcing doctors to make some tough decisions.

“It’s really sad because if you had a surgery scheduled for three months and now there is not enough blood in the hospital for you to do that surgery,” Rosado said. “Because we have to save it because there is a fire, and people get injured in fires, or there’s a shooting or a severe accident.”

But ever since Vitalant issued a critical appeal for donations, the community has responded.

“We are fortunate in this area where people do jump so, we have had a little bit of an increase – not quite where we would like it – but we do have some people that come out and donate,” Rosado said. “It’s a constant issue, we are at critical need now. Once we get up to four days, we still are still in a urgent need.”

The Farmington Vitalant will be hosting blood drives at different locations across the Four Corners during the month of July, including Freedom Days on July 2 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.