Calls for blood donations ahead of summer
Posted May 20, 2017 7:31 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s crunch time again for blood donation clinics across Canada, as they issue another plea for support heading into the summer.
Marcelo Dominguez with Canadian Blood Services says they’re hoping to collect at least 150,000 donations by Canada Day.
“Patients are really counting on donors to come out before and after the long weekend and try to support hospital patients with blood donations. We’re really hoping that Canadians answer the call as they typically do.”
He says across BC, they need at least 16,000 donations every week and Metro Vancouver inventories are low thanks to this year’s stormy winter, as well as our wet spring.
“We’ve got about 2,000, just over 2,000 open appointments that we’re just trying to fill by May the 29th. It’s like a carton of milk. It does expire and so, it needs to be replaced.”
He adds need is greater for Type O blood which can be used universally.
“Type O blood. In particular, O-negative blood is -it’s the universal blood type and so, when seconds count, a patient is in need of blood and they don’t have time to type them, they will receive O-negative blood. You know, all blood types are needed and if you’re O-negative blood, it just puts you in a very unique category – that’s all.”
