Rural to urban shift means dwindling blood collections

Canadian Blood Services is struggling to reach its targets for blood collection in Newfoundland and Labrador, which are about 10 per cent behind the volume it is hoping to gather in the province.

It's the second year in a row that collection targets are behind by the same amount in the province.

The service's director of donor relations for Atlantic Canada, Peter MacDonald, says changes in the distribution of the population play a big role in the decline.

"It is really a global issue and that is the urbanization of population," MacDonald said. "We have seen a decline in collections from communities off the Avalon and outside the City of St. John's."

The first goal is to collect what is needed close to home.- Peter MacDonald

While census data shows population growth in St. John's, he says blood services has not seen a corresponding increase in donations.

The amount of blood collected outside St. John's has also decreased following a shift from permanent donation clinics to mobile operations in several smaller centres on the island.

"While the census data shows the City of St. John's is growing while the rest of the population declines, we have not seen a corresponding uptick in our collections in St. John's," he said.

"That is a challenge we face in Newfoundland."

More provincial donations needed

MacDonald said that Canadians are fortunate to have a national blood distribution system which allows supplies to move across jurisdictions.

"Whenever there is a challenge in a part of the country, we move blood across the country so that patient care is not compromised. We've had to do that on a regular basis."

"The first goal is to collect what is needed close to home."

One of the goals of Canadian Blood Services is to encourage people to donate blood with their neighbours in mind.

"We've like to see people make blood collection the next great social imperative in Newfoundland and to bring folks to our clinics," he said.

MacDonald said that a mobile clinic travels to 24 distinct communities in Newfoundland. He admitted while it doesn't visit every community on the island, the service does "try to make it as convenient as possible."

MacDonald said many people are simply not aware they can donate.

He said the blood collected is useful in many ways.

"We draw plasma, platelets and red blood cells, but our inventory is organic — blood is perishable," he said.

"We can freeze plasma and it will last for up to a year. Red cells last for 42 days, but platelets, which are often used in cancer treatment, only last for five days. That is a significant challenge to manage."

MacDonald said donating blood gives the donor an opportunity to make a difference in their community.