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RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is a home unit of government pursuant to the 1970 Illinois Constitution, Article VII, Section 6(a); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to its home rule power, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function relating to its government and affairs including the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, on July 13, 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported that blood banks serving the Chicago are at a critically low level not seen in several years, forcing at least one hospital to postpone surgeries; and
WHEREAS, blood donation shortages are a public health concern; and
WHEREAS, the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois reported 700 fewer blood drives across the United States during the Independence Day holiday week than in the weeks before and after the holiday, leaving only a four day supply of blood on hand to serve the region; and
WHEREAS, reports from the American Red Cross state that the blood shortage in Chicago and Northern Illinois mirrors a nationwide drop in supply that has left it 61,000 donations short of what it has needed to keep up with demand for the past two months - the equivalent of the organization not seeing a single donation for more than four days; and
WHEAREAS, the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois, reports that donor shortages this summer are particularly alarming; and
WHEREAS, both the Red Cross and America's Blood Centers (ABC), which together represent virtually all United States blood banks, reported severe shortages at a season when blood supplies are usually adequate; and
WHEREAS, both groups report that the reason for the shortage is increased demand, much of it due to the increased number of complex therapies such as chemotherapy, organ transplants, and heart surgeries, which require large amounts of blood and blood products; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago Tribune article quo...
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