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.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.