Héma-Québec calls on people with blood types O- and B- to donate blood

A man donating blood in Montreal on Nov. 29, 2012. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

Héma-Québec is calling on the public to donate blood and reminding of the importance of this simple gesture for the common good.

Although Héma-Québec assures the public that the blood bank is “healthy,” the organization noted a marked decline in blood types B negative and O negative and is specifically inviting people with these blood types to come and donate.

Héma-Québec spokesperson Josée Larivée assured The Canadian Press in an interview that the situation is not alarming.

However, she points out that less than three per cent of Quebecers donate blood and that type O negative is the “universal donor,” meaning it is the type that will always be used when someone is brought to the hospital in an emergency.

“At Héma-Québec, we plan ahead when we see a decline like this,” Larivée explains. “We have a lot of regular donors who have gone away to warmer climates during the cold weeks, so that affects our results.”

Larivée says that compared to other countries, Quebec’s blood bank is “healthy,” which, in her opinion, allows us to be “very proud of our collective altruism.”

Héma-Québec also wants to encourage young people over the age of 18 and Quebecers who have never donated blood to visit its website to make an appointment at a collection site near their home.

The organization has a dozen donation centers in most regions of Quebec and conducts nearly 2,300 mobile collections annually. It is also preparing to open a new donation center in Lévis in March.

Larivée points out that you only need to be over 18 and in good health to donate blood. However, certain criteria must be met. These can be found on the Héma-Québec website.

In a previous version of this text, The Canadian Press incorrectly reported that less than 3 per cent of Quebecers did not donate blood. In fact, only 3 per cent do so.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Jan. 10, 2025.

By Quentin Dufranne and Sébastien Auger, The Canadian Press