Blood Services plasma donation centre opens in Lethbridge

Canadian Blood Services, in continuing to boost its plasma collections to meet the patient needs, has opened a dedicated plasma donation centre in Lethbridge.

The new Lethbridge site is the second of three new centres in Canada for Canadian Blood Services, and is the first in the western provinces.

“The opening of the new plasma donor centre in Lethbridge is an exciting time for Canadian Blood Services and the community,” says Brenna Scott, business development manager, Canadian Blood Services, in a news release. “We are grateful for the generosity of our Lethbridge blood donors and we know they are ready to carry on the tradition of giving to help meet the plasma needs for Canadian patients. We look forward to welcoming donors from the community through our doors.”

Plasma is a protein-rich liquid in blood that helps other blood components throughout the body. It is often transfused as a life-saving treatment for patients undergoing extensive surgery or trauma, or with cancer, immunodeficiency or bleeding disorders. It is also key to producing specialized medicines from plasma-derived protein, a need that is rapidly growing in Canada and globally.

The first dedicated plasma centre for Canadian Blood Services opened in Sudbury, Ont., in August. Kelowna, B.C., will be the third location and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2021. Plasma donations from these dedicated centres will move Canadian Blood Services another step closer to increasing plasma collection in Canada.

Appointments are available and plasma donors in Lethbridge can pre-book their plasma donation appointments by visiting blood.ca or calling 1888-2DONATE. The donor centre is located at 10-3735 Mayor Magrath Drive South and the hours of operation are Tuesday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.