Canadian Blood Services is calling on new and returning donors to help replenish the blood, platelet and plasma supply and support patients through the latest COVID-19 wave.
The urgent request comes with the organization’s facing a decline in regular donors since the start of the pandemic.
“One in two people in Canada are eligible to donate blood, plasma, and platelets, but only one in 81 does,” said Canadian Blood Services CEO Dr. Graham Sher.
“The problem is that we’re relying on a very small group of people to meet the needs of the country,” Sher added.
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And Omicron has reduced that ‘very small group of people’ to an even smaller one.
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“If someone has been sick with COVID or they have a family member who has been, they maybe haven’t been able to come out and keep an appointment,” explained Janna Pantella head of Business Development at the Kelowna office of Canadian Blood Services.
It’s a situation that has the organization making a national call for donations of both blood and plasma.
“We’re asking the community maybe first-time donors or maybe those who haven’t been in in a while to book an appointment and keep that appointment to help fill that need,” said Pantella.
“We need more donors, the need for blood and blood products it doesn’t stop so whether there is a pandemic or not Canadians are relying on these products and we need Canadians help to fill that.”
Donors can call 1-888-2-DONATE or visit here.
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