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The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) has urged the industry’s 46,000-plus real estate professionals to “roll up their sleeves” and give much-needed life-giving blood.
In a bid to address the declining number of donors and an increase in hospital demand, the REIQ has partnered with the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to launch the inaugural QLD Real Estate Challenge, an initiative that aims to encourage real estate professionals to help boost blood donations.
“The unprecedented demand for health services across Queensland has added intense pressure upon our health system as we continue to ride the wave of changes brought about by COVID-19,” according to REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella.
“The need for blood has dramatically escalated, but supply is still lagging. Lifeblood urgently needs more donors to roll up their sleeves to ensure our state is well stocked.”
The challenge, which kicked off on 1 May 2021 and will run until 31 July 2021, has an ultimate goal of making “a life-saving difference to 3,000 patients in local communities across Queensland”, the CEO added.
Currently, a single blood donation is needed every 24 seconds to meet the current hospital and patient demand, according to the REIQ.
Further, 31,000 donations are required every week across the country to help patients in times of trauma, major surgery, cancer treatment, pregnancy and a host of other situations.
Finally, while one in three Australians will need a blood donation in their lifetime, only one in 30 actually give blood every year.
Lifeblood data has shown that around 1,400 donors are cancelling their appointments every day.
Amid an 11.6 per cent spike in patient presentations between July 2020 and January 2021, blood donations have also fallen from pandemic rates — that is, 10,000 fewer people donating now than at the peak of the pandemic.
Ms Mercorella is looking to leverage the real estate industry’s knack for great “teamwork” to provide assistance to the healthcare sector.
“Together, our industry can achieve amazing things when we work together. Last year saw our industry unite under unprecedented circumstances to ensure essential real estate services continued to operate during pandemic lockdowns and restrictions,” she said.
“From online auctions and electronic sales transactions through to flexible tech-based property management tools, our industry was able to provide vital support for the Queensland economy.
“This time, it’s to show every local community across Queensland just how much we care… We look forward to seeing which Queensland real estate agency will be recognised for saving the most lives this winter.”
The call is not just to real estate professionals, with Ms Mercorella also encouraging all eligible donors in the wider community to step up to the plate and donate.
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