By Staff
July 31st, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Long weekends are always a strain on the steady supply of blood and blood products hospital need.
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 Burlington donor centre at 1250 Brant Street is open Friday, Saturday and Monday this long weekend. There are 64 open appointments to fill at this location on Monday.
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.
