Is it so surprising that only 2% of the population regularly roll up their sleeves to donate a pint of blood at the Canadian Blood Services clinics?  No, not really.

Many are squeamish, until they or someone close to them, needs blood. And even then, it can be a very difficult thing for folks to do.  Some may not realize how important it is to become a regular donor with Canadian Blood Services (CBS).

CBS Donor Relations & Collections spokesman for Manitoba, Brett Lawrence, says 870,000 Manitobans are eligible to donate, but only just over 2% actually do.

For patients in surgery, or in an accident, or needing a transfusion, Lawrence says many people don't think about it until they are affected by it directly, or even indirectly.  "Either they need blood, or someone they know needs blood. And at the end of the day if you need blood there's really no substitute for it. We can't give you something else in place of blood."

0 Negative is the blood type that is the most crucial, as this is the universal blood type that paramedics carry with their units and is the blood type that is used in any emergency situation including ambulance services and ER's.

In 2023, Canadian Blood Services saw not only an increase in the demand for blood, but a decrease in the number of donors visiting their blood donor clinics, which is not a good combination to have! And this dilemma was across the country.  You may remember the call out for blood donors to visit their nearest blood donor clinic during the summer months as we saw too many vehicle accidents this past summer.

A car accident victim can use up to 50 units of blood, which means up to 50 people need to donate for one car accident victim.

"Luckily, with 2024, things are looking much better than they did in the summertime," explains Lawrence.  "People did answer the call. People are coming back out to donate."  

"But what I do want to emphasize is even though we are out of the woods with needing people to come out and donate, the whole blood system within Canada, and yes Manitoba, is that it relies on people coming out to donate. It's on a completely voluntary basis.  If someone is receiving blood products in a hospital, it's because someone came to donate."  

Please listen to more with Brett Lawrence below on the importance of becoming a blood donor with CBS!

"In Westman specifically, people have probably donated in Brandon where we are twice a month with our mobile unit, or in Winnipeg where we are open six days a week," he adds.

"Even if someone donated twice a year it would make a huge difference!"

The next blood donor mobile clinic will be held at the Victoria Inn, Brandon, on February 15th.

For more information click HERE!