Blood reserves are at their lowest level in 10 years, which could soon make it difficult for some hospitals to treat certain patients, warns Canadian Blood Services.
The agency is asking potential donors to roll up their sleeves after its inventory dropped more than 40 per cent in the last two months.
On Tuesday, inventory had dropped to two days' worth of blood for the most common types. Blood reserves should be at about four to six days' worth.
The shortfall means Canadian Blood Services has had to ration blood shipments to hospitals, according to a statement issued by the agency.
This has not affected services for emergency patients, the statement said.
However, some hospitals will have difficulty meeting the needs of regular patients and those who are undergoing elective procedures, some of which may have to be postponed.
Reserves have not been so low since the agency was formed a decade ago to administer Canada's blood system.
"(The shortfall) puts the blood system, and Canadians who depend on it, in a vulnerable position," Dr. Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services, said in the statement. "Simply put, we need more donors now."
Even though one-in-two Canadians are able to give blood, only about one-in-60 has this year.
There are about 400,000 active blood donors in Canada and more than 90,000 donors are needed each month to keep up with demand, which continues to grow.
In the last three fiscal years, demand for blood by hospital patients has climbed by more than three per cent to about 850,000 units of blood per year. Meanwhile, the number of donors has decreased by 0.7 per cent.
Strong blood reserves are not just important for serving hospital patients, the statement warned. It is also crucial to be prepared for a sharp spike in the need for blood in case of emergencies or natural disasters.
With files from The Canadian Press
