By Rosalind Russell-
Canadian Blood Services cancelled all their blood donor clinics throughout the northeast in 2019, but there is a dire shortage in donations according to one of its vice-presidents.
Chief supply chain officer and donor relations vice-president Rick Prinzen says the CBS needs 100,000 new donors to ensure needs are met, but due to the pandemic, the number of regular donors dropped by around 31,000 people.
Prinzen says the only blood donor site serving the northeast is in Sudbury, where plasma is collected.
Mobile clinics including those in Espanola and Elliot Lake were cancelled when the clinic began collecting plasma because of the impact of having to ship blood quickly to manufacturing sites and the cost and work needed in manning the mobile sites.
He adds the clinics are unlikely to return, but if anyone wishes to donate, they can check out the site blood.ca to see if a donor clinic can fit into their travel plans.
Photo: People no longer donate blood, rather they donate plasma, but due to the pandemic there has been a big drop in donors. Check out blood.ca to include a clinic in your travel plans. Photo – unsplash.com
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