Blood Centre issues plea for donations

Scores of people began responding to the New York Blood Centre's emergency

appeal for blood donations issued soon after the planes crashed into the

World Trade Centre today.

Before the crashes, the blood center had a five-day supply of blood - ``a

pretty good inventory'' for normal circumstances, said Dr. Robert L. Jones,

the center's chief executive officer and president.

``We're able to process'' the increased donations in part because the blood

center moved personnel from training programs scheduled for today to

collection sites throughout the city.

Traffic jams were a difficult initial handicap, and police escorts were

needed to deliver blood and blood products to hospitals treating the

victims.

``The city is in chaos right now,'' Dr. Jones said. ``It is the event of our

lifetime, it is a war, we are at war.''

The center is working closely with the Greater New York Hospital Association

and individual hospitals to monitor blood needs on an hourly basis.

Dr. Jones said he was in e-mail contact with three other blood collecting

organizations - America's Blood Centers, the American Red Cross and the

American Association of Blood Banks. ``They all stand ready to ramp up

collections if necessary and also to move blood to us which happens to be on

their shelves already,'' Dr. Jones said.

``We don't see that need right now, but it will take some time to sort out

what we need,'' Dr. Jones said at about 11:30 a.m.

The Red Cross center in Boston had no blood to send to New York City, Dr.

Jones said. He said the center was checking on supplies in Philadelphia.

Asked how blood could be delivered to a city that was shut down, Dr. Jones

said ``that is a good question - without air traffic, we are kind of

stuck.''

On a normal day, the New York Blood Center collects about 1,200 units of

whole blood, which is broken down into various parts. The center distributes

about 2,000 units of blood products on a normal day.