ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Due to a severe shortage of blood types O-, A-, and B-, Magen David Adom (MDA) are urgently calling on Israelis to donate blood if they have one of the aforementioned types and are able to do so.

Only an estimated 15% of people in Israel have the required blood types, which are all rare, and a sharp decline in the amount of units MDA hold in stock has led them to appeal to the public for blood donations.

The public are asked to remember that each donation can help save the lives up three people who need urgent transfusions, MDA said in their appeal.

The difficulty of raising the required amount of blood, and the subsequent lack of it, can cause disruptions in hospitals and emergency medical incidents.

MDA Blood Services operate in accordance with the coronavirus guidlines released by the Health Ministry , and people wishing to donate have to ensure that they have not had contact with a coronavirus patient in the past 28 days.

"Patients and injured people need blood units for life-saving treatments," said MDA's Vice President of Blood Services Professor Eilat Shinar in the appeal for donations.

"In order to provide blood to the various patients, and to maintain the blood supply they need, we urgently need at least 200 such donors every day, and ask anyone who can reach one of MDA's donation points and donate blood to save lives."

Those interested in donating can view blood donation dates and site locations on the MDA website at http://www.mdais.org/dam, or by phone at 03-9101101.