While summer in Canada continues to roll on, Canadian Blood Services continues to see thousands of empty donor beds each week. Appointment bookings are falling short of hospital demand for blood and plasma, which could cause the national supply to dwindle. Hospitals have the blood they need today, but that could change if appointments aren’t filled.
The donor centre in Red Deer is open this weekend. There are 172 open appointments to fill at the location at 5020 68 St #5, Red Deer, AB : August 02 and August 03.
One in 2 Canadians are eligible to give blood, yet only 1 in 76 actually does. This dedicated, but small group of donors have been supporting patients in Canada. More new donors are needed to keep pace with the growing demand for blood and blood products. New donors of all blood types are needed but it is particularly vital that people with group O-negative, O-positive or B-negative donate as soon as they can.
Every available appointment needs to be filled this weekend and throughout the summer to ensure there is always enough blood and plasma available for patients when and where they need it.
If you’ve never donated before, there is no better time to start. Recent changes to donation criteria mean that many people who weren’t able to donate in the past, might be able to now.
You can be part of the solution. Book now on blood.ca, use the GiveBlood app or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283). Double your impact and help grow the community by inviting a new donor to join you when you make your appointment this summer.