LEWES, Del.- The Blood Bank of Delmarva is partnering with Beebe Healthcare in order to get more donations from high school and college students.
Drives have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, mobile donations have dropped to 43 percent of the amount pre-pandemic. President & CEO of Beebe Healthcare Dr. David Tam says the younger demographic has driven blood donations and they are trying to encourage them to come to their safe donor centers.
"Those are the people who have the physiological ability to donate blood as compared to someone who is older with multiple medical problems," Tam said. "The other reason I think it is an issue is because most people donate blood at mass blood drives, or at schools, or a company that sends thirty employees down to the cafeteria and those things just aren't happening now."
The blood bank is adding more hours for donations at their Dover and Christiana donor centers on Sundays from 8 a.m. to Noon and at their Salisbury Donor Center every other .