Canadian Blood Services Urges Doners to give this Canada Day as Summer Demand remains high

With Canada Day festivities and summer plans ahead, Canadian Blood Services is urging people of all blood types to donate blood and plasma. With only two percent of eligible Canadians donating, the organization says every donation is needed to meet growing patient demand and maintain a stable national blood supply.

Shamus Neeson, Community Development Manager with Canadian Blood Services, tells the Raven that blood donations are vital every day – including holidays and statutory days off – to help meet ongoing patient demand and save lives. He adds donating also gives many people the opportunity to learn their blood type.

Neeson speaks on the most common blood types such as O Positive, that makes up 39 percent of Canadians and 36 percent of Canadians have A Positive. He highlights that the most uncommon and needed blood type is O Negative as Canadians with that blood type can only receive that blood in medical situations.

Neeson says that their goal is to recruit a million new blood doners by 2030 to make Canada exclusive and self-sufficient in meeting blood demand in hospitals.