Canadian Blood Services has issued an immediate appeal to donors in light of a recent lull in attendance and rising cancellations.
The organization said in a statement on Tuesday that it “feels the pressure” to collect blood, platelets and plasma.
He said Canada’s national blood inventory has dropped by 25% since the start of April, with new and returning donors of all blood types being asked to help by donating over the next few months. weeks.
“Donor footfall had remained strong during recent waves of COVID-19, but we’ve seen a noticeable change since mid-March,” said Rick Prinzen, director of supply chain at Canadian Blood Services and Vice President of Donor Relations.
While one in two people in Canada are eligible to donate, only one in 81 do, Canadian Blood Services said.
Prinzen added that Canadian Blood Services has seen a 10% increase in late cancellations and missed appointments due to recent illness, isolation requirements and the lifting of restrictions, as well as an increase 7% of postponements, partly due to increased travel.
“We are grateful to donors for their support, but at the start of the pandemic we said the effort to ensure there was enough blood to meet patient needs would be continuous like a marathon, not a sprint,” Prinzen said.
“We are now in a precarious situation as we emerge from the sixth wave of COVID-19. Given the uncertainty of future variants and what life with COVID-19 will look like, as well as the increased need for donors during the summer months which are typically a difficult time for blood and plasma, patients are counting on new and returning donors to come forward and help us this week, next month and for months to come. Lives depend on it.
Canadian Blood Services says appointments to donate are necessary, but same-day appointments are available every day at many donor centers and community events.
Infection control measures are still in place, including wellness screening, mandatory mask-wearing and physical distancing. All staff are also fully vaccinated.
Donors who need to cancel an appointment are asked to reschedule for the following month to help Canadian Blood Services find a replacement.
National Blood Donor Week also runs from June 12-18 this year.
To make an appointment to donate, download the GiveBlood app, call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or book on blood.ca.
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