Canadian Blood Services facing critical shortage
Clinic closures due to winter storms create blood supply problems
As the snow piles up around the Maritimes blood supplies are dwindling.
Blood donations are reaching critical numbers in many Maritime communities. Since late January clinics have had to close several times because of storms, leading to missed appointments.
P.E.I. area manager Lisa Rusk told CBC News the Island service has been trying to catch up even as the bad weather continues into March.
"Right now we're actually dealing with impact days from the storms we had back in January and February," said Rusk.
"Heading into March and April our clinics weren't very well prepared anyway, so with the addition of these new storms we are really in a bind here."
Rusk said the national supply is still able to provide the region with blood, but she encourages those who missed appointments to rebook soon.