Though this year's Red Cross blood drive has garnered more pints than efforts in the past two years many donated more than just blood: some gave up two hours of their time as well.
Red Cross volunteers attributed the delays to lacks of space and staff.
"We've only had nine technicians today," said blood drive Head Coordinator Julia A. Hunter' 96 "We hope to have twelve technicians tomorrow; and really on a day like today we need to have twelve. Then hopefully it would go to a lot faster."
Volunteers collected 145 pints yesterday, 20 pints over the goal for the day.
Hunter said the lack of sufficient staff may have been due to Harvard'S December blood which was comparatively unsuccessful.
"[In December] we didn't even come close to meeting the goal any day," Hunter Said "But that was probably due to the virus."
"After a drive like that, the Red Cross doesn't want to send as many technicians because they feel it might not be productive," Hunter added.
Red Cross nurses have also cited the lack of space in Boylston Hall's Ticknor Lounge as another reason for yesterday's delays.
"Unfortunately, we only have so much equipment and staff that fits in the space we're allotted ," said Red Cross Nurse-in-Charge Joy Augenstern.
"So no matter how diligent and well staffed we are, we can only move so many people through in any given period of time."
But the delays meant a loss of some volunteers who could spare "Yesterday I think we had about 10 or twelvepeople walk out who couldn't stay," Augensternsaid. Both students and staff singled out the healthhistory procedure as being particularly sluggish. In a time-consuming process, donors arescreened for their blood iron levels, temperatureblood pressure and blood irregularities, Huntersaid. "Our [main] problem has been up at healthhistory," Hunter said. "There was a long waitbecause we only had three technicians up there.But we're working to get a fourth one." Currently two of the health history techniciansdevote their efforts to those who have made aprior appointment to give blood.
