HONOLULU — After temporarily suspending neighbor island drives since March due to COVID-19, the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i announced its return to Kaua‘i.
Collections will take place at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall from Tuesday through Thursday, Aug. 25 to 27, with hours of operation varying by day: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 26, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Thursday, Aug. 27, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kaua‘i was the first neighbor island drive to be canceled and first to be reinstated.
To stabilize the current blood supply, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i’s goal is to secure 140 appointments per day. Although all blood types are needed and will be used, there is an immediate and high need for O-Positive and O-Negative blood types.
Kaua‘i has a relatively high number of registered donors with these blood types.
Blood Bank of Hawai‘i’s executive team worked closely with Mayor Derek Kawakami and his staff to address safety of the community as a mutual concern. Blood Bank of Hawai‘i will follow strict protocols and procedures recommended by the federal Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at keeping donors and staff safe.
“We appreciate the support of Mayor Kawakami and his administration, and look forward to hosting our Kaua‘i donors in the safest way possible,” said Todd Lewis, chief operating officer of Blood Bank of Hawai‘i.
“We’ve missed our Kaua‘i donor ‘ohana, and are thankful that we can return to maintain a safe level of inventory for all of Hawai‘i’s patients.”
Other neighbor island drives are being considered. Lewis said he hopes collections can resume on Maui and Hawaii Island later this year, based on consultation with county leadership.
Each donation can save up to three lives.
Healthy donors interested in giving blood on Kaua‘i may register at bloodbanktough.org or call 808-848-4770.
Appointments are required, as walk-ins can no longer be accommodated.
Individuals with questions about operations during COVID-19 may visit bbh.org/COVID-19 or connect via social media. For inquiries related to convalescent plasma, call 808-848-4706 or email covidplasma@bbh.org.
