Donations at Canadian Blood Services typically dips in the summer as donors go on vacation and get sidetracked with other plans, but the agency says reserves right now are even lower than usual and without a reversal, is not sustainable for patient care.
Numbers have been dwindling since June 1, prompting a call for Canadians to roll up their sleeves as more weekend appointments have been created.
“We’ve seen the blood supply decline by about 20 per cent in just a matter of weeks and we need more donors to come forward now to reverse this decline,” said Ron Vezina, vice-president of donor engagement and corporate reputation at Canadian Blood Services.
Every week across the country, Canadian Blood Services said it needs approximately 18,000 booked blood donation appointments to keep pace with hospital demand.
While a seasonal decline in donations is expected during the summer months and factored into planning, appointment bookings have fallen well below typical summer patterns.
Over the past six weeks, appointments have fallen short by 1,500 to 2,500 each week, requiring a draw on existing inventory reserves to meet patient needs.
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Blood has a shelf life of just 42 days, so Canadian Blood Services said donations made today will quickly make their way to a patient.
There are now limited days on hand of several blood types — levels that are not sustainable for patient care should the trend not reverse itself, the agency said on Wednesday.
“We need to ensure hospitals have the blood they need for everyday care and emergencies, especially as we head into the August long weekend when trauma cases and other urgent care needs could see an increase.”
Donors of all blood types are needed to replenish supplies and keep pace with hospital demand.
If you’ve already booked an appointment, CBS said keeping it is essential and if you can’t make your appointment, cancelling in advance allows someone else to take that spot.
Additional weekend appointments have been added at many donor centres and whole blood donation appointments are available at several plasma donor centres, CBS said.
“A strong, healthy Canada depends on people showing up for one another,” Vezina said.
“Whether you’re a new or returning donor, now is the time to book an appointment. Better yet, bring a friend and experience what you get when you give together.”
Appointments can be booked at blood.ca, through the GiveBlood app for Android or Apple, or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE.
They are making less money selling your blood. Management will not get their bonuses if you do not donate now. Please donate , they need their yatch money.
“It’s in you to give” lol go f yourself
They’ve removed blood donation from my city. It is only plasma now, and no walk ins allowed. Hard to donate when they put limitation on donors.
Weren’t they selling it to labs in the US?
Tell your overlords, if they want more people to donate blood then they can improve the economy and the basic healthcare sector or nobody is going to care about donations. You can’t squeeze blood out of a stone. The oldest sayings in the book are being ignored while you beg people for the blood they can’t afford to give.
Let me bring my kids with me again while I donate and I’ll start again tomorrow. Until then, not another drop.
I watched this story this morning on the news and I continue to become increasingly frustrated and angered by Canadian Blood Services with their plea for increased donors.
Being a committed, life-ling donor, with well iver 80 donations, donating since 17 years of age, there could and should have been more. As a female, I am eligible to donate every 84 days, compared to every 56 days for my male counterparts. This was not always the case.
I understand hemoglobin and iron levels for females, especially younger females with menstrual cycles. However, I am a healthy 53 yr old female, post menopause with good iron levels (something they test prior to every donation). More importantly, I am willing to donate more frequently but can not. This is increasing hard as I attend mobile clinics so if I am unable to attend while they are in town, that is one less donation for the year.
So why am I commenting on this post? I take the time following each donation to complete the survey they send electronically and I have voiced my concerns repeatedly to Canadian Blood Services with NO response. Yet I continue to watch advertisements and broadcasts with their cry for help. There are donors who want to give more and can’t because of their policy. While I am not a medical professional, the solution to me appears obvious… Allow females to donate every 56 days. If the iron tests too low, do not proceed with the collection. This was the process years ago and is still in place today for male or females who do not have the required iron levels.
I just wanted to share what is really happening at Canadian Blood Services and their cry for help must not be as dire as they are reporting to the public.
I stopped donating when my non-covid vaccinated blood was considered no good.
No mention of the fact that this service has partnered with for profit companies. Or the fact that three people have died at these for profit facilities, two in the last nine months. Or the fact that the investigation into these deaths has uncovered wildly under trained staff and management. Hmmmm, I wonder why people aren’t lining up for this?
Red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days. Plasma can be frozen up to 1 year and the platelets or only viable for 7days.
I used to donate whole blood regularly and then started donating plasma more frequently. I suddenly stopped once I learned Canadian Blood Services is selling Canadian donor plasma overseas to pharma companies. I had no problems donating to help Canadians (even if CBS is a for-profit company) but once I learned they were making money selling to foreign markets I decided that was unacceptable.
They can start paying donors to donate blood and plasma at this point.
I know of many people who would donate, but the donor clinics have shutdown in many locations.
I read the cry for donors (and I understand) but why don’t they reopen centres so that people can attend in their communities?
It isn’t reasonable to expect people to commute to distant communities to donate blood.
Imagine that after the libs destroy healthcare people stop giving hmm maby canadians have given enough at the alter of leftism .ive waited ten years for back surgery maby thats why people dont care anymore about anyone eles .media has covered the liberals decline and lied for ten years were the best well sure looks like it eh .
RE: Canadian Blood Services Pleas for Donations
I am a senior who sometimes has difficulty getting to various locations. Why is it that Canadian Blood Services doesn’t have a mobile donation option in rural or small town locations. I personally would donate at every opportunity if the mobile clinic came to my location.
It’s very sad that they’re so desperate but sadder still that they are overlooking small towns and people who really want to help.