Every summer, the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is troubled by the many vacant donor appointments that occur every week.
Officials said the number of booked appointments does not keep up with the urgent need for blood and plasma, risking a potential shortage in the national supply.
While hospitals currently have sufficient blood, a spokesperson said this situation could shift dramatically if donor appointments remain unoccupied.
Krysta Hanakowski, the community development manager, emphasized that one out of every two Canadians is eligible to donate blood, but only one in 76 choose to do so.
Despite being a small percentage, these donors play a significant role in aiding patients in Canada, said Hanakowski.
“Canada has a population in general that is both growing and aging, so the current donation levels are just not at a level where they can keep up with the rising patient needs,” said Hanakowski.
She explained donating blood or plasma takes around an hour, and the nurse will ask you what medication you take, if you have been outside of Canada, if you are at least 17 years old, and if you have a clean bill of health.
There are two CBS locations in New Brunswick. The Moncton donor centre needs to fill 855 appointments in August while the Saint John donor centre has 450 open appointments.
New donors of all blood types are needed, however, CBS said people with O-negative, O-positive or B-negative blood must donate as soon as they can.
