Puerto Rico Blood Banks Issue Urgent Call for Donors as Summer Reserves Hit Critical Lows

Puerto Rico's blood banks are going through one of their toughest summers in years: reserves remain below recommended levels while demand for transfusions keeps climbing, Hospital Auxilio Mutuo San Pablo and the Banco de Sangre de Servicios Mutuos de Puerto Rico confirmed this week ¹². In response, they have activated a series of donation drives starting this Wednesday, August 5, in the hospital's lobby in Hato Rey ².

The medical director of the Banco de Sangre de Servicios Mutuos de Puerto Rico, Dr. Gerardo Latoni, described the current moment as one of the worst he can recall for the summer season, when supplies typically drop because of summer travel, school vacations and a pause in corporate donation drives ¹². The medical deputy director of Hospital Auxilio Mutuo San Pablo, Dr. Belkliz Torres, explained that transfusions are a constant procedure in the island's hospitals, needed to treat bleeding conditions, major surgeries, hematological disorders and trauma cases, among other medical reasons ². "Keeping a sufficient supply lets us give those treatments on time and save lives," Torres said ². She also stressed the value of recurring donors: "Today we can be donors, but in the future, we might be the patient who needs a blood donation" ².

Summer is historically the most difficult season for Puerto Rico's blood banks. Back on June 14, coinciding with World Blood Donor Day, Auxilio Mutuo had already held a special drive to try to get ahead of the seasonal dip ³. Even so, according to Latoni, this summer's levels fell further than expected, leading hospital authorities to extend the drive calendar through the end of the year ¹².

The numbers behind the call: blood reserves on the island are below recommended levels in the middle of August 2026, according to the Banco de Sangre de Servicios Mutuos ¹. The upcoming donation drives in the lobby of Hospital Auxilio Mutuo, in Hato Rey, are scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, Wednesday, October 7, and Wednesday, December 9, all from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ². The blood draw itself takes between 8 and 12 minutes, while the full visit -registration, health questionnaire and physical exam included- takes about an hour ². A single pint of blood can help multiple patients at once, from accident victims to people undergoing scheduled surgeries ¹.

What This Means for You

This call is not just for people who work in health care. Anyone in good general health, between 18 and 65 years old and weighing at least 110 pounds, can donate blood, and 16- and 17-year-olds can also donate with a parent's or legal guardian's permission ¹². People with tattoos are not excluded: they can donate once the tattoo has fully healed ². In practical terms, this means a scheduled surgery, a treatment that requires a transfusion, or emergency trauma care at any hospital on the island depends, in part, on enough people deciding to donate in the coming weeks ¹².

How to Do It / Checklist

1. Confirm you meet the basic requirements: age 18 to 65 (or 16-17 with a guardian's permission), a minimum weight of 110 pounds, and good general health, with no cold or flu symptoms ¹².
2. Eat a light meal and drink water before going to donate; arriving on an empty stomach can cause lightheadedness during the process ¹².
3. Bring a valid photo ID; registration cannot be completed without one ¹².
4. Visit the lobby of Hospital Auxilio Mutuo San Pablo, in Hato Rey, on Wednesday, August 5, between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., or mark your calendar for the upcoming dates of October 7 and December 9 ².
5. Set aside about an hour for the full process: registration, health questionnaire, a brief physical exam, and the draw itself, which alone takes 8 to 12 minutes ².
6. If you have a recent tattoo, wait until it has fully healed before donating ².
7. If you cannot donate this week, consider coordinating a donation drive at your workplace, school, or church; Auxilio Mutuo and the Banco de Sangre de Servicios Mutuos organize community blood drives throughout the year ³.

What's Next

The Banco de Sangre de Servicios Mutuos de Puerto Rico has already set its drive calendar through December 2026, with confirmed dates for August 5, October 7, and December 9 in the Auxilio Mutuo lobby ². Latoni called the current moment one of the worst in years for the summer supply, a sign that blood bank authorities expect to keep donation drives active for the rest of the year to keep the shortage from deepening ¹². Meanwhile, the hospital continues urging the public to donate on a recurring basis, noting that a sufficient supply allows treatments to be given on time, both in emergencies and scheduled surgeries ².

Sources

1. wapa.tv, "Llamado urgente a donar sangre ante reservas por debajo de lo recomendado," August 1, 2026. https://www.wapa.tv/noticias/salud/llamado-urgente-a-donar-sangre-ante-reservas-por-debajo-de-lo-recomendado/article_a1888b86-3f68-43f2-bec5-5040a936465e.html
2. wapa.tv, "Activan jornadas de donacion para combatir niveles bajos de abastecimiento de sangre," August 1, 2026. https://www.wapa.tv/noticias/salud/activan-jornadas-de-donaci-n-para-combatir-niveles-bajos-de-abastecimiento-de-sangre/article_ae6c4734-e8ce-4e8b-adae-5855a613b75c.html
3. wapa.tv, "Auxilio Mutuo impulsa jornada de donacion de sangre," June 14, 2026. https://www.wapa.tv/noticias/salud/auxilio-mutuo-impulsa-jornada-de-donaci-n-de-sangre/article_574a1305-bf86-448b-9b51-c3974b7f396c.html