Canadian Blood Services issues urgent call for donors as inventory falls

Canadian Blood Services has issued an immediate call for donors in light of a recent lull in attendance and rising cancellations.

The organization said in a statement on Tuesday that it is "feeling the strain" to collect blood, platelets and plasma.

It said Canada's national blood inventory has fallen by 25 per cent since the start of April, with new and returning donors of all blood types urged to help by donating over the coming weeks.

"Donor attendance had remained strong during past waves of COVID-19, but we have seen a notable shift since mid-March," Rick Prinzen, Canadian Blood Services' chief supply chain officer and vice-president of donor relations, said.

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 per cent increase in late cancellations and missed appointments due to recent illness, isolation requirements and the lifting of restrictions, as well as a seven per cent rise in deferrals in part because of increased travel.

"We are grateful to donors for their support, but at the beginning of the pandemic we said the effort to ensure there's 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 living with COVID-19 is going to look like, along with the increased need for donors over the summer months that are typically a challenging time for blood and plasma collections, patients rely on new and returning donors to show up and help us this week, next month and for months to come. Lives depend on it."

Canadian Blood Services says appointments to donate are required but same-day appointments are available each day at many donor centres and community events.

Infection-control measures are still in place, including wellness screening, mandatory masking and physical distancing. All staff also are fully vaccinated.

Donors who have to cancel an appointment are asked to re-book for the following month to help Canadian Blood Services find a replacement.

National Blood Donor Week is also June 12-18 this year.

To book an appointment to donate, download the GiveBlood app, call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or book at blood.ca.