There is an urgent need for O Positive, O Negative and Platelet donations, the not-for-profit said.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The not-for-profit serving blood donations for much of the Southeast is experiencing a “ransomware event,” prompting an urgent call for donations.
OneBlood said Wednesday it is working closely with cyber security specialists as well as federal, state and local agencies. Collection, testing and distribution of blood is operating at a significantly reduced capacity, OneBlood said in a press release.
There is an urgent need for O Positive, O Negative and Platelet donations.
“OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously. Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event. Our comprehensive response efforts are ongoing and we are working diligently to restore full functionality to our systems as expeditiously as possible,” OneBlood senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations Susan Forbes said in the release.
OneBlood has asked the more than 250 hospitals it serves to activate their critical blood shortage protocols and to remain in that status.
The release said blood centers across the country are sending blood and platelets to OneBlood and the AABB Disaster Task Force is coordinating national resources to assist with additional blood products being sent to OneBlood.
“The blood supply cannot be taken for granted. The situation we are dealing with is ongoing. If you are eligible to donate, we urge you to please make an appointment to donate as soon as possible,” Forbes said.
