Canadian Blood Services needs 31,000 donations in 3 weeks

Extreme weather conditions across much of the country at the end of December and into the New Year forced Canadian Blood Services to cancel 24 blood donor clinics, resulting in a lost opportunity to collect more than 1,200 donations, said the organization.

“It’s been a stormy start to 2014. While we’ve weathered the storm by leveraging our national reserves to ensure patient needs are met, we now need Canadians to help replenish national supplies by booking an appointment and giving blood in January,” said Mark Donnison, vice-president of Donor Relations.

Between Jan. 13 and Feb. 1, 2014, Canadian Blood Services forecasts 31,000 appointments need to be filled. The recent clinic cancellations coupled with constant hospital demand, have also created an immediate need for more O negative and A negative blood donations.

“A blizzard may stop us in our tracks, but the need for blood keeps on going—especially when it comes to blood types that are in high demand, like O negative blood,” said Donnison. “When seconds count, someone’s life is on the line and there’s no time to check a patient’s blood type, O negative blood is used.”