Richard Charlewood: Transfusion Medicine Specialist on the need for more plasma donations

The New Zealand Blood Service is calling out for desperately needed plasma.  

The demand for so called 'liquid gold' grows by 10 percent each year, with supply not keeping up. 

Based on the demand, they’ll need at least 150 more people to start donating regularly. 

Transfusion Medicine Specialist Richard Charlewood told Francesca Rudkin the problem is that they’re reliant on other countries. 

He said that it’s an American export business, and so when there’s a drop in donations—like there was during Covid— it’s an America-first policy, so we’re at risk by not being self-sufficient. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.