HYANNIS – Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital are in need of blood donations and have released their schedule for blood drives in the month of September.
Numerous blood drives are being held across the Cape to benefit Cape Cod Healthcare (CCHC) as hospitals must have at least one week’s worth of blood on hand at all times.
Each unit of blood collected or purchased only lasts 42 days, making it a constant challenge for facilities to maintain a sufficient supply.
All blood collected at Cape Cod Healthcare blood drives stay on Cape Cod to help local families and those in need.
The US Food and Drug Administration has recently updated its eligibility guidelines that eliminate deferrals based on sexual orientation.
Under the new donor screening process, all donors will answer the same eligibility questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
The change paves the way for more members of the LGBTQ community to donate blood and means many healthy individuals who previously could not give will now be able to support their community.
The first scheduled blood drive is on Tuesday, September 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harwich Police Department, with another the following day September 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Falmouth Hospital.
To make an appointment for one of the upcoming drives and to find out more of the dates and locations visit their website.
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