Canadian blood supply low due to donor shortage

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Blood donations, blood supply shortage overview: 

• Who: Canadian Blood Services says there is a critically low national supply of blood.
• Why: The organization says the number of donors has dropped since the pandemic
• Where: The blood shortage is effective in Canada.

The number of regular blood donors in Canada has dropped by 31,000 since the COVID-19 pandemic began, leaving the national blood supply at critically low levels. 

Canadian Blood Services now says it is struggling to replenish the critically low national supply caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, National Post reports.

According to the organization, the pandemic has led to the smallest donor base in the country in 10 years.

“The number of people across Canada who donate regularly has decreased by 31,000 donors since the start of the pandemic, which has put a strain on the existing donor community,” Rick Prinzen, chief supply chain officer and vice-president of donor relations for Canadian Blood Services, toltellsd National Post. “Many of our regular donors already donate multiple times a year.”

The need for blood products decreased during the pandemic as travel halted and only the most critical surgeries were allowed, according to the National Post. Additionally, Canadian Blood Services wasn’t able to accommodate as many donors because of physical-distancing requirements at clinics.

But with things returning to normal, demand has increased again, Prinzen says in the National Post article.

Canadian Blood Services seeks 100,000 new donors

Prinzen tells the National Post that patients’ lives now depend on new donors coming forward. The Canadian Blood Services is responsible for overseeing the inventory from which blood and blood products are sourced from around the country to meet hospital and patient needs.

Blood inventory has a shelf life so it needs to be replaced regularly. Frozen plasma can last a year, red blood cells 42 days and platelets only five days. As a result, donors need to come in all year round to meet demand. 

About 400,000 Canadians give blood on a regular basis, Prinzen says in the National Post article. He now says he hopes that number will increase thanks to the National Blood Donor Week. The organization’s goal is to attract 100,000 new donors this year. 

However, Prinzen says summer is typically a slow time for blood donations as people cancel appointments or go on vacation.

“Right now, we have compounded losses in donors due to COVID-19 and not having the ability to recruit new donors at in-person community events because of restrictions over the past two years,” he tells the National Post.

Do you give blood? Let us know in the comments! 

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