Blood Donor Clinic helping meet summer blood demands

The theme for this summer’s donor campaign is ‘Someone still needs your help’

Southwest residents can help reduce a summer blood shortage by registering to donate blood during an upcoming two-day clinic in Swift Current.

Nationwide an estimated 17,000 blood donors are needed over the next two weeks, while in Saskatchewan 1,000 donors are needed to meet the necessary blood demands.

Canadian Blood Services highlights that the summer months are challenging for Canada’s blood system as donors change their routines, take vacations, and are involved with outdoor activities - donating blood is not always top of mind.

This summer, with lower than expected collections through the end of June and the first two weeks of July, coupled with constant hospital demand, Canadian Blood Services are asking Canadians to donate blood. They point out that blood systems in the United States and the United Kingdom have actually issued urgent appeals for blood donors, with fewer donations being made this summer and overall blood inventory levels falling.

“With summer activities and vacations we find that our booked appointments drop and looking out two weeks there’s not enough relief in sight,” says Community Development Coordinator Michelle Miller. “The reality is that the need for blood does not take a summer vacation and we need more Canadians to book an appointment now. Patients in hospitals still require transfusions of blood products for surgeries, cancer treatments and other procedures.”

This summer, Canadian Blood Services is also partnering with emergency service workers in for the Sirens for Life summer campaign. The theme for the campaign is “Someone still needs YOUR help” and we’re asking Canadians to take part in Sirens for Life by donating blood in support of their local emergency services teams. Emergency service workers have been saving lives all summer and often see the need for blood first-hand. Just one person who is seriously injured in a car crash could need as many as 50 blood donations to help save their life.

“Our national inventory means that no one is currently going without blood and we can draw on its reserves so that patients who need blood continue to get it,” says Michelle. “We do, however, need to replenish our blood supply after a challenging start to the summer and are calling on donors from Regina and surrounding areas to

Swift Current’s Blood Donor Clinic is hosted at Bridgeway Community Church on both July 29 and 30. The July 29 clinic runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and when they issued their call there were 70 open appointments. There are 128 open appointments for the July 30 clinic which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To book an appointment, visit www.blood.ca or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888236-6283).

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