Empty donor chairs means empty blood bags. Canadian Blood Services is putting out calls for donors – and their friends – as they are dealing with an unprecedented amount of appointment cancellations and no-shows.
Empty donor chairs means empty blood bags.
Canadian Blood Services is putting out calls for donors – and their friends – as they are dealing with an unprecedented amount of appointment cancellations and no-shows.
This year, the non-profit has reported 133,000 appointment cancellations and 119,000 people missing their appointment entirely.
“When a donor does not attend a scheduled appointment many of them believe that someone else in the community will step forward and take their place,” said Mark Donnison, vice-president of donor relations.
“However, we are actually being faced with a number of empty donor chairs as we attempt to fill up last-minute cancellations.”
People are busy getting back into routine during the months of September and October. Donating blood is not at the forefront of their minds, but typically donor support at this time of year is still better than the summer months, said Judy Jones, associate director of donor relations for Alberta, Saskatchewan and N.W.T.
“Usually we see our routine going into some semblance of order so this is odd for us to see it at this point in time. We still have many open appointments across the country,” she said.
Canadian Blood Services needs to fill an additional 78,000 appointments by the end of October to meet the anticipated demand.
“If this current trend continues, we would be concerned that regular hospital demand would put a strain on our national inventory,” added Donnison.
Canadian Blood Services hit a five-year pre-summer low in June.
Thankfully, they were able to bounce back to a “manageable level” thanks to donor support, said Jones.
When pressure is put on the national supply, local doctors are notified to optimize their stock while blood products are moved around the country to meet demand, she explained. Blood products are also periodically available from Héma-Québec, the non-profit that manages the blood supply for Quebec.
Canadian Blood Services is now asking donors to cancel their appointments in advance if they know they cannot attend. Bring a friend when you do come to fill up empty donor chairs.
Help save a life
• To book an appointment, download the GiveBlood app, visit blood.ca or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236 6283).<br />• Invite a friend, family member or coworker. Almost all first time donors bring a friend, and it is a great way to support each other and make it a social event.<br />• Become a Partner for Life: Instead of a monetary donation, your company pledges a certain number of units of blood.<br />"A lot of organizations now have a social mandate," said Jones. "It's an opportunity for staff to come as a group … (and engage) in the community."<br />Contact [email protected] for more information.
