By rdnewsNOW staff

1,100 Donations Needed In Red Deer

Distribution of blood to hospitals outpacing donations in Alberta, Red Deerians encouraged to donate

Oct 16, 2023 | 4:16 PM

After asking more people in Canada to donate blood and plasma this summer and despite many answering the call, officials with Canadian Blood Services say distribution of blood to hospitals continues to outpace the number of donations being made across the country, including here in Alberta.

“Canadian Blood Services sends Alberta hospitals more than 1,700 units of blood per week to treat patients so it’s incredibly important that people donate blood—or other blood components, like plasma and platelets—to prevent patient care from being impacted,” says Dr. Meer-Taher Shabani-Rad, Provincial Clinical Section Chief, Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL), Hematology and Hematopathology. “When a patient needs blood, there is no substitute. Without it, lives are at stake.”

In addition to serious trauma and emergency care, officials note blood and blood products are a critical part of everyday medical care including major surgeries, medical procedures, cancer treatments and managing diseases and disorders.

“As quickly as we collect blood, hospitals are calling for more. There are simply not enough people donating in Alberta to ensure patients’ needs will continue to be met long term,” says Jennifer Gretzan, associate director, donor relations, Canadian Blood Services.

While Canadian Blood Services manages a national inventory and blood can be moved around the country, the national blood system depends on donors showing up across Canada, including people right here in Red Deer.

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Officials say blood donors in Red Deer, help ensure hospitals in the province receive the blood they need — including Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, which needs more than 5,800 units of blood per year.

To keep meeting the needs of patients in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada, Canadian Blood Services says more than 1,100 people are needed to donate blood between now and Nov. 11 at the Red Deer blood donor centre, located at 5020 68 St.

There are nearly three million people in Alberta who are eligible to donate blood, yet only a mere fraction do—just over two per cent of the population, say Canadian Blood Services officials.

“Life can change in seconds, and you or someone you love may need blood urgently. It’s up to all of us to ensure we can save lives here at home,” says Gretzan.

Don’t count yourself out. Canadian Blood Services says it regularly updates its eligibility criteria for donating blood. You may be able to donate—even if you couldn’t before.

Go to blood.ca, download the Give Blood App or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) and book an appointment today, tomorrow and in the coming weeks.

If you cannot donate, officials note you can still help save lives in other ways. Visit blood.ca to learn how you can make all the difference for patients and their families. You can also ask friends, family and colleagues to donate blood and share the message on social media.