Without more blood donations in the Greater Victoria area, people will die, according to Canadian Blood Services.
“When a patient needs blood, there is no substitute,” said Dr. Tanya Petraszko, senior medical director of medical laboratory and stem cell services with Canadian Blood Services.
According to Petraszko, B.C. hospitals receive an average of 2,200 units per week. As a result, they often find that they are distributing blood faster than they are donating, she said.
It is not just blood that is needed, but plasma and platelets which will ensure that patient services can help as many people as possible, Petraszko said.
B.C. is the third-largest province in Canada, with the bulk of the population living in Metro Vancouver, but few people donate, according to Canadian Blood Services.
There needs to be more people in B.C. donating, said Gayle Voyer, associate director of donor relations at Canadian Blood Services.
“As quickly as we collect blood, hospitals are calling for more,” Voyer said.
Around 953 people in Greater Victoria are needed to donate blood in the next four weeks, and potential donors will be able to visit 3449 Saanich Rd.
Donors in Victoria help to ensure those patients at facilities such as Royal Jubilee Hospital get what they need, as they move about 6,113 units every year.
People can sign up to donate by going to blood.ca, download the app or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).