Sydney blood clinic closing due to shortage of donors
Nearest clinic will be in Port Hawkesbury after May 14
Blood donors in Sydney will no longer have a place to give in the city, now that Canadian Blood Services has decided to close its clinic on May 14.
The organization says demand hasn't been high enough in recent years to keep the facility on Grand Lake Road open.
Peter MacDonald, the regional director of donor relations, believes the aging demographic is a factor.
"Also, the fact that we have a lot of people in the CBRM who are [working], but are working away and perhaps aren't as readily available in their community to support things like blood donation when you are working in Fort McMurray or elsewhere."
The Sydney area currently has 1,800 active blood donors, which pales in comparison to the 4,300 donors Canadian Blood Services hoped to have in the city this year.
MacDonald says the Port Hawkesbury clinic will remain open.
"I know that's not close by any stretch. We do have a permanent site in Halifax if they are travelling," he said.
"Any mobiles that we do go to across the province, and we'd certainly be glad to see them, but we understand that it's not going to be convenient for folks in the CBRM."
Ten people will lose their part-time positions when the clinic closes. There are no full-time workers at the Sydney location.
Permanent sites will also close in Corner Brook, N.L., and Prince George, B.C.
Sixteen other mobile blood donor clinics are shutting down in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.