Print

Text

Our country's blood reserves have dropped so dramatically in the past two months that we only have two days' supply of blood to meet the entire country's needs. Supply to hospitals is being rationed, forcing some to delay treatments and postpone elective surgeries.

The call has been made - our country needs blood donors.

What happens next is sadly predictable. In response to the media campaign, a small portion of the population will roll up its sleeves and the inventory will be restored - for the time being. But the majority of the new donors won't donate regularly, demand will outgrow the supply and there will be another appeal to the public to help stabilize the blood reserves.

It's a cyclical affair that needs to end.

One in two Canadians can give blood, yet according to Canadian Blood Services, only one in 60 has done so this year.

"Active Canadian blood donors, those who have donated at least once in the past 12 months, are some of the most generous in the world. The problem is, there are too few of them to meet the growing need for blood," said Dr. Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services, in a statement.

We need to get ahead of the curve, and stay ahead of it for once.

A safe blood system is one that can be called upon in case of emergencies or natural disasters. To get there, we not only need a new legion of regular blood donors to step up to the plate, but perhaps Canadian Blood Services should review its eligibility criteria to broaden the pool of potential donor candidates.

Currently, there exists eligibility restrictions based on sexual orientation and travel if there's a possibility that person could have been exposed to particular diseases like HIV/AIDS and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In some cases, as a result of these restrictions, perfectly healthy blood donors are being turned away at a time they're needed the most. Canadian Blood Services would do well to review their policies and perhaps make exceptions for people who, through a professional medical referral, can prove they are indeed disease-free.

If you're eligible, make an appointment to give blood today. There are several locations in Etobicoke holding clinics in the next month, at Sherway Gardens, Woodbine Mall, Albion Centre, the Etobicoke Olympium, the Etobicoke Civic Centre, Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, and the Memorial Pool and Health Club. Call 1-800-2-Donate or visit www.blood.ca for more information.