Hoxworth 'in urgent need' of blood following global tech outage

Last week's global tech outage caused a shortage at Hoxworth Blood Center , and now the center's asking for more donations.

The outage caused some of the center's locations systems to go down, according to an email sent to donors Wednesday, compromising the blood supply during a season when donations are especially critical.

“There is an urgent need for blood at this time," said Dr. David Oh, co-chair and CEO of Hoxworth Blood Center. "We often see an uptick in traumas and other accidents during the summer months."

The effects of the outage on the country were far-reaching, affecting about 8.5 million Windows devices and disrupting operations at banks, emergency call centers and hospitals.

In Cincinnati, it temporarily halted services at Cincinnati Children's, which ended up canceling some appointments and alerting patients that their surgeries might be delayed.

The Enquirer was not able to reach representatives of Hoxworth Blood Center in time for deadline.

The need for blood type O, platelets especially urgent

The center especially needs donors with positive or negative type O blood or those who can give platelets.

All donors who visit the center during July will receive the limited-edition Cincinnati Reds Hawaiian Shirt and Premier Donor Club (PDC) loyalty reward points for e-gift cards. Between now and July 31, platelet donors will receive double points.

Donors can schedule an appointment by calling 513-451-0910 or by visiting www.hoxworth.org.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hoxworth 'in urgent need' of blood following global tech outage