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Blood donors needed in Surrey to ensure summer supply

Surrey donor centre has 267 open appointments to fill over B.C. Day weekend
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Canadian Blood Services is asking Surrey residents to look into donating blood, as the demand for donors continues to increase.

Canadian Blood Services is looking for people in Surrey to register to give blood, platelets and plasma, in an effort to save the lives of patients who critically need the donations.

The donor centre in Surrey (15285-101 Ave.) has more than 260 open appointments to fill on Aug. 2, 3 and 5.

"Every available appointment needs to be filled this weekend and throughout the summer to ensure there is always enough blood and plasma available for patients when and where they need it," notes a Wednesday release from Canadian Blood Services.

Canadian Blood Services said more donors are needed to keep up with the demand for blood and blood products. Currently, only one in 76 Canadians gives blood, though one in two Canadians are eligible. 

"New donors of all blood types are needed, but it is particularly vital that people with group O-negative, O-positive or B-negative donate as soon as they can," notes the release. 

Canadian Blood Services recently changed the donation criteria, which means "that many people who weren’t able to donate in the past, might be able to now." 

On Nov. 23, 2023, Canadian Blood Services announced that Health Canada had granted approval to lift a ban on blood donations from people who lived or travelled in the United Kingdom, Ireland or France for long periods of time in the 1980s and 1990s. 

The ban was adopted more than two decades ago by blood agencies in many countries to prevent the transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or “mad cow disease.”

But almost 30 years of research and surveillance have made it clear that people who previously weren’t eligible to donate under the travel criteria can do so safely, Dr. Aditi Khandelwal, medical officer for Canadian Blood Services, said in a November 2023 release.

If you’re eligible and interested in donating, book your spot on blood.ca, use the GiveBlood app or call 1-888-2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

-With files from the Canadian Press



Anna Burns

About the Author: Anna Burns

I cover breaking news, health care, non-profits and social issues-related topics for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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