Calls for more mobile clinics as Canadian Blood Services pleads for donations

An Estevan resident is calling for the return of more mobile clinics as Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is seeking more donations across the country.

Last year, mobile clinics in some rural areas including Estevan and Swift Current were halted.

“Decisions around where we hold these donation events are assessed on a national basis and based on several factors including capacity to collect units, labour and transportation costs, as well as the distance and access to the nearest production site,” Mike Choi, the associate director for donor relations and collections with Canadian Blood Services, said. “The adjustments we make consider the best use of public funds as possible.”

Earlier this week, CBS put out a nation wide call for more donations, saying there has been an increase in appointment cancellations and attendance has decreased at centres across the country.

Choi said the national blood inventory has declined by about 25 per cent since the beginning of April.

Gerald Shauf, an Estevan resident, said it’s time to bring mobile clinics back to rural areas.

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Shauf said he used to donate when the clinics would come a few times per year, but can’t justify travelling to donate.

“The cost of gas and everything, it’s just more economical and environmentally friendly for them to drive to Estevan,” he said.

He said there used to be dozens of people lining up at mobile clinics to donate, and likely would be again if they returned.

“There are lots of people out in those areas that are more than willing to give blood, but it’s just infeasible for everybody to drive to Regina or Saskatoon to make those donations,” he said.

Canadian Blood Services said as much as it would like to accommodate all donors, it has to be financially responsible.

“We really hope that folks located in communities who might not have their own local donation event or who used to have them in the past but currently don’t, can understand this and will still be willing to support patients by ways of scheduling a blood donation when making a visit to a town or city with a donation centre,” Choi said.

Donation centres operate weekly in Regina and Saskatoon, and mobile centres occur periodically in some smaller communities around the province.

In addition to blood, CBS is looking for platelet and plasma donations as well.