Saturday July 30, 2022 | COLWOOD, BC [Updated August 1, 2022 – 37 appointments still open at 9 am | the clinic location is air conditioned | Mask policy info posted at 5 pm | Updated August 5, 2022 with comment from Dr Bonnie Henry about wearing masks at blood donation clinics]
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social Trends
In August there are two mobile Canadian Blood Services mobile donor events in Colwood. Both on Mondays: August 1 and August 29.
Organizers are hoping for donors to show up (by appointment) from around the west shore region, to donate blood, platelets and plasma.
Both clinics will be held at the Colwood Church at 2250 Sooke Rd, 12 noon to 6 pm. The weather is hot, but the mobile clinic location is air conditioned.
Summer always a challenge:
“Summer is always a challenge to find donors, as everyone gets busy, is travelling or is simply takes a break from their routine donation during the year,” says Ann Chabert with Canadian Blood Services in Victoria.
“The hospital demand for blood products never takes a vacation as surgeries, treatments and accidents continue to dictate that need,” she says. Hospital patients rely on donors for lifesaving treatments at any time.
“The provincial and national inventory of blood is organic with a limited shelf life, urging us to reach out and recruit more donors during the summer months,” Chabert adds.
Eligibility to donate blood:
According to Canadian Blood Services, one in two Canadians are eligible to donate, but only one in 81 does.
Reasons for not being eligible to donate blood include: age, alcohol, allergies, antibiotics, blood donation interval, heart, iron, lupus, medication, surgery, tattoos, travel, vaccinations and weight. See all Blood Donor Eligibility info here.
BC Day statutory holiday:
Since Monday August 1 is a statutory holiday, it’s even more of a challenge for Canadian Blood Services to find people to book an appointment and donate.
As of July 30 there were 36 open appointments. The number went down to 33 openings over the long weekend, but as of 9 am on the day of the clinic the Monday August 1 clinic still has 37 open appointments.
At last count, the clinic coming up on Monday August 29 still had 38 slots available.
Appointment takes 45 minutes:
Anyone who has 45 minutes and is eligible to donate blood, can book their appointment via blood.ca or via the mobile app GiveBlood or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE.
Mask friendly:
As of July 25, Canadian Blood Services donor clinics became “mask friendly”, says Canadian Blood Services south Vancouver Island representative Patricia Willms. She explains that masks are “still recommended but not mandatory”.
“We have masks available for all and almost everyone continues to wear them,” Willms told Island Social Trends today.
Update August 5 with comment from Dr Bonnie Henry:
Dr Henry says about masks at blood donor clinics: “People going to give blood are healthy, and they’re screened for that. So the mask is an extra layer of protection; there’s a lot of uncertainty…I think it’s perfectly reasonable to have them set out.”
“There’s space between people, there’s time between people,” Dr Henry described about blood donor clinics.
“So mask wearing – it’s not that you don’t do it, it’s optional for people who feel comfortable wearing one during that encounter,” she told Island Social Trends at a media session on August 2.
“I think we shouldn’t let something like that stop us from doing important things like giving blood.”
Overall need across Canada:
In June, Canadian Blood Services reported that during the pandemic the number of regular donors had decreased by 31,000, resulting in the smallest donor base in a decade.
“When we asked the public for their support, they responded and made a difference. June 2022 was the third highest month for welcoming new donors since the start of the pandemic,” it was stated in a Canadian Blood Services news release last week.
===== RELATED:
Dr Bonnie Henry on wearing masks at blood donation clinics (August 5, 2022)
Fewer regular blood donors has led to critically low inventory (June 13, 2022)
Blood donation by appointment only during COVID-19 (June 15, 2020)
Blood donor clinics not on pause during COVID-19 (March 30, 2020)
Holiday season could impact blood platelet supply (December 26, 2018)