Blood donation in Canada is needed, because twenty percent of blood donors cancel their schedule over the summer and holiday period. This caused a shortfall when blood was most needed.
During the summer months, one in five donors forgets or neglects to make their appointments at donation centers.
Red Cross spokesman Shaun Inguanzo says, "We ask the question, would you cancel that appointment if it was your friend or family member who needed that blood donation?"
The collection of 25,000 liters a week must be consistent due to the increased likelihood of road accidents during the Christmas and New Year season.
Paul Harvey donates blood monthly on the Melbourne's CBD; he donates platelets, which will be used to help cancer patients. It took 65 minutes to extract his blood, the platelets removed, and the blood is returned to his body. Mr. Harvey said that it saves lives. If you have time, do it.
Demand of blood exceeds over the supply available all year round. One in three patients needs blood at any given time. But one in 30 people donates blood.
According to ABC News, blood donation in Canada must have a constant flow of donors. In Ottawa, the Canadian Blood Service Manager said that hospitals need an average of 5,000 donations every 2 weeks. However, only 2,700 donations have been booked for the next two weeks.
According to CBC News, Mary Ann St. Michaels at a clinic in Ottawa city hall said that they have come to the point where there could be a blood shortage.
The study shows that people tend to neglect the importance of actually appearing to their blood donation schedule.
Canadian Blood Services has donation clinics located at 1575 Carling Ave. in Ottawa and 850 Gardiners Road in Kingston. Blood donation in Canada is something people can willingly do to help prevent a shortage of blood.
