After asking more people in Canada to donate blood and plasma this summer and despite many answering the call, distribution of blood to hospitals continues to outpace the number of donations being made—especially in Ontario, where nearly half of Canada’s population lives.
“Canadian Blood Services sends Ontario hospitals about 7,400 units of blood per week to treat patients so it’s incredibly important that people donate blood—or other blood components, like plasma and platelets—to prevent patient care from being impacted,” says Dr. Katerina Pavenski, head of Division of Transfusion Medicine, at St. Michael’s Hospital-Unity Health Toronto and member of the National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products, in a media release.
“When a patient needs blood urgently, there is no substitute. Without it, lives are at stake.”
Canadian Blood Services officials say in addition to serious trauma and emergency care, blood and blood products are a critical part of everyday medical care including major surgeries, medical procedures, cancer treatments and managing diseases and disorders.
“As quickly as we collect blood, hospitals are calling for more. There are simply not enough people donating in Ontario to ensure patients’ needs will continue to be met long term,” stated Mark Newburgh, director, donor relations and collections, Canadian Blood Services, in a press release.
While Canadian Blood Services manages a national inventory and blood can be moved around the country, the national blood system depends on donors showing up across Canada, including people right here in Chatham-Kent.
Blood donors in Chatham-Kent help ensure hospitals in this province receive the blood they need, Canadian Blood Services officials say.
To keep meeting the needs of patients in Chatham-Kent and elsewhere in Canada, 490 people are needed to donate blood in the next four weeks at the various mobile blood donation events in Chatham-Kent.
Upcoming Blood Donation Events in the month of October:
Ken Houston Memorial Dresden Arena
1212 North Street, Dresden
Tuesday, October 3
2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
UAW Local 251 – Wallaceburg
88 Elm Street South, Wallaceburg
Tuesday, October 10
1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
St. Clair College – HealthPlex
1001 Grand Avenue West, Chatham
Saturday, October 14
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
St. Clair College – HealthPlex
1001 Grand Avenue West, Chatham
Tuesday, October 24
1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
There are roughly 10 million people in Ontario who are eligible to donate blood, yet only a mere fraction do—just 1.5 per cent of the population.
“Life can change in seconds, and you or someone you love may need blood urgently. It’s up to all of us to ensure we can save lives here at home,” Newburgh added.
Don’t count yourself out.
Canadian Blood Services regularly updates our eligibility criteria for donating blood.
You may be able to donate—even if you couldn’t before.
Go to blood.ca, download the Give Blood App or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) and book an appointment today, tomorrow and in the coming weeks.
If you cannot donate, you can still help save lives in other ways.
Visit blood.ca to learn how you can make all the difference for patients and their families.
You can also ask friends, family and colleagues to donate blood and share the message on social media.
Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization. Regulated by Health Canada as a biologics manufacturer and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health, Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope, infrastructure and governance that make it unique within Canadian healthcare. In the domain of blood, plasma and stem cells, we provide services for patients on behalf of all provincial and territorial governments except Quebec. The national transplant registry for interprovincial organ sharing and related programs reaches into all provinces and territories, as a biological lifeline for Canadians.
