Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is urging all eligible donors in the Moose Jaw area to help meet the needs of patients by booking and keeping their appointment to donate blood this fall.
With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, demand for blood products has increased as hospitals treat more trauma patient admissions and carry out surgical procedures that were put on hold, CBS said. Canadian Blood Services anticipates that the increased demand will continue this fall. This means all open appointments must be filled to ensure there is an acceptable inventory level of blood for Canadian patients.
While all donors are encouraged to get involved, there is a specific need for donors with type O-negative blood. As the universal donor, O-negative blood is always in need. If donors don’t know their blood type, donating blood is an easy and free way to find out.
The next blood donor clinic in Moose Jaw is on Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Cosmo Senior Centre at 235 Third Avenue Northeast. CBS still needs to fill 63 more appointments, which means there are plenty of good time slots open.
Donors who make an appointment are encouraged to keep it, as missed or cancelled appointments are difficult to fill, CBS said. If they are unable to make it to their appointment, they should cancel it so someone else can take their place. Donors should then consider re-booking in coming months.
If donors are in general good health, CBS encourages them to book and honour their appointment to help patients. Donors can download the GiveBlood app available on the AppStore or GooglePlay, call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or book at blood.ca.
