Lethbridge to get plasma collection site

As part of a pilot project, Lethbridge will be getting a new plasma collection site next year and the current blood collection centre will be shut down.

The new centre will be solely dedicated to collecting plasma, which is one of the components of blood. It will feature 12 beds and new, state-of-the-art technology.

“We… wanted a city where we had a proven track record — a successful proven track record — in collecting blood, a strong donor base, a strong contingent of employees, and Lethbridge was offering all of this for us,” said Jean-Paul Bedard, vice-president of plasma operations at Canadian Blood Services.

Lethbridge is among three mid-sized cities (the others are Sudbury, Ont., and Kelowna, B.C.) selected by Canadian Blood Services for proof-of-concept sites. The donation of plasma is used in transfusions and specialized medicines that can save lives.

“When we give blood normally, often times people are donating the red blood cells which help for oxygen transport,” said Laura Vogelsang, associate dean for Lethbridge College’s Centre for Health and Wellness.

“But if someone was in a major accident or a traumatic event, they might also rely on plasma for things like the clotting factors to control bleeding, so both of them can potentially save somebody’s life one day.”

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Although the new site will only be collecting plasma, the donation process won’t be too different.

“The difference is that we send the blood in a centrifuge that will be sitting right beside the donor bed, we isolate the plasma and return back the red cells to the donor.”

Bedard said he hopes at least 30 per cent of blood donors will transition to plasma.

“It is as important as donating blood… to donate plasma,” Bedard noted.

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“When you look at the products that we manufacture from plasma — we call them plasma-derived products — these products are in high demand and as we speak, we’re not collecting enough plasma in Canada to meet the needs of the patients that require these medicines.”

A location for the new facility hasn’t yet been finalized, but it is scheduled to open in the fall of 2020. The current site will close three months before then to allow for employee transition and training.