As healthcare providers, our team knows all too well how vital blood donations are in saving lives, and that is why we are coming together to increase the number of donors within our ranks.
Special clinics are being held June 20 in Welland, June 24 in Niagara Falls and June 25 in St. Catharines for NHS staff, physicians, volunteers, and their families and friends. The hospital is encouraging our team and members of the community to remember that blood is needed all year long and to find a clinic near you.
Last year, the Niagara Health System received 12,085 units of red blood cells from Canadian Blood Services. A wide range of people benefit from donated blood following accidents, during surgery or for cancer treatments, hemophilia and other blood-related diseases.
“I hope people will seriously consider becoming blood donors,” says Registered Nurse Monica Hlywka, who is organizing the NHS blood drive. “It takes only one hour to donate blood and save a life.”
“The month of August is always a challenging time for blood collection, with more donors away and taking part in summer activities,” adds Monica. “Canadian Blood Services is counting on all of us to help meet the needs of patients everywhere. I would encourage Niagara residents, both existing donors and new ones, to give blood at their local clinics.”
From now until September, the southern Ontario region will need to book an average of 3,370 appointments weekly at Canadian Blood Services clinics.
NHS is a member of the Canadian Blood Services Partners for Life initiative, a nation-wide program designed for corporate and community organizations committed to saving lives by donating blood as a team.
There are 416,000 active blood donors in Canada, meaning they have donated at least once in the past 12 months. Canadian Blood Services is working to recruit 89,600 new donors this year.
Anyone who wants to give blood can go to www.blood.ca or call 1-888-2-DONATE to book an
appointment at a clinic near you.
Media contact:
Caroline Bourque Wiley, Manager, Communications
905-378-4647, ext. 43113, cwiley@niagarahealth.on.ca
