A blood donor clinic pictured at a shopping mall in Calgary on Friday, March 27, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)
A nationwide call out for blood donations is being made ahead of the busy holiday season.
Canadian Blood Services is sounding the alarm with its Give 3 in 2023 challenge to inspire Canadians to roll up their sleeves.
The challenge asks people across Canada to commit to supporting patients in three different ways starting today, throughout the winter holidays and into the new year.
“Although many Canadians are hopeful that the worst of the pandemic will be behind us over the next few months, we continue to experience the impact of COVID-19 through a high number of appointment cancellations,” said Dr. Graham Sher, Canadian Blood Services’ CEO.
“People cannot donate when they are not well. We also still rely on a relatively small pool of donors and registrants to meet patients’ needs. We need more people across Canada from all communities and backgrounds to become regular blood, platelet and plasma donors and more people to register as a stem cell donor or potential organ donor; patients and their loved ones are counting on it.”
More than 60,000 open appointments need to be filled by the end of this year. CBS says 1,000 people in Canada are waiting for a stem cell match, and 4,000 people across the country waiting for an organ transplant.
Donor appointments can be made by visiting blood.ca, using the GiveBlood app or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
