Need for blood at N.S. hospitals outpacing donations, Canadian Blood Services says

Canadian Blood Services is calling on Nova Scotians to donate blood as the need exceeds donations. 

“What we know today is that in Nova Scotia and across Atlantic Canada, as quickly as we can collect blood, hospitals are calling for more,” Kim Elliott, associate director of donor relations at Canadian Blood Services, said in an interview Thursday. 

“So the rate at which we’re sending blood to hospitals today is outpacing the rate of which we’re collecting.” 

Elliott said the number of people who donate blood has recently declined. 

“A few years ago, we used to say it was about four per cent of the eligible population who donated blood, but now in Nova Scotia that’s down to about two per cent,” she said. 

Therefore, Canadian Blood Services has had to rely on a “very small percentage” of the eligible population to meet patients’ needs.

Elliott said more than 470 new blood donors are needed in November and December in order to meet patients’ demands in Nova Scotia. 

Dr. Robert Green, senior medical director of the Nova Scotia Health trauma program, said Nova Scotia hospitals received more than 26,000 units of blood from Canadian Blood Services this past year to treat patients. The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre needs more than 12,000 units of blood per year. 

Green emphasized the importance of donated blood, plasma and platelets, which are a critical part of everyday medical care.  

Elliott said there Canadian Blood Services does manage a national inventory that allows them to move blood across the country if more units are needed in certain provinces than what’s locally available.

However, she’s hoping more Nova Scotians will donate blood in the near future.

Elliott said the donation process from start to finish takes about an hour. 

When a person arrives at the blood donor clinic, they are asked a few questions about their eligibility. Then, their hemoglobin is checked and the donation process begins. 

“The donation process itself takes only five or 10 minutes. It’s very quick,” Elliott said. 

After a person’s blood is collected, they are taken to an area to rest, offered refreshments and then are on their way. 

“It’s a simple and easy process and can really make an impact in a patient’s life,” Elliott said.

“Life can change in seconds. (You) or someone you love may need blood urgently and there is no substitute for donated blood.” 

People are able to book appointments through Canadian Blood Services’ website, on their mobile app or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).