Abbotsford gets to roll up its sleeves in a new way for the national blood supply.
Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has chosen this city as a location for one of its new plasma donation centres, as the organization works to increase the national plasma supply. The decision of where to put the new centre came down to the generosity the community has shown in the past, says CBS manager of business development, Johanna Aguirre.
“The reason we decided to invest in Abbotsford is mainly because of the generosity of the community,” she said. “They have provided a vital contribution to Canada’s lifeline.”
Plasma donation is different from whole-blood donations in many ways, she explained.
First of all, men can donate weekly, women every two weeks. That’s much more frequently than whole blood donations, because with the plasma collection they are returning some vital components of your blood back to you.
“It’s a very special machine,” she said, that separates the blood components and returns everything but the plasma to the body.
That means it uses different equipment, and takes longer. The process is about 45 minutes, making the whole visit run about 90 minutes.
The equipment is more complex than a simple blood draw, and so CBS cannot do the same kind of outreach into multiple communities for plasma. With the addition of Abbotsford’s new permanent centres, as well as one in Kelowna, there will be 11 plasma donation centres in all of Canada.
Abbotsford’s centre is set to open in the spring, with the first available appointments already available online to book on April 12 and beyond. The centre is being developed at West Oaks, beside Michael’s and Party City and will employ 18 CBS team members supported by a team of volunteers.
Donation criteria are the same as they are for blood donations, other than the frequency.
Finally, plasma is used differently than whole blood — and there is global shortage of plasma, and immunoglobulins, Aguirre explained.
Plasma is used for transfusion directly into patients in hospitals, but it’s also used in manufacturing special medications called plasma protein products.
Immunoglobulins, albumin and coagulating factors are examples of these medications.
“We make life-saving medication out of plasma,” she said.
Plasma is collected and shipped to specialized pharmaceutical companies who use the proteins in plasma to manufacture plasma protein products for use exclusively in Canada. These medications are licensed by Health Canada and returned to Canadian Blood Services for shipping to the hospitals and clinics they serve.
“The demand is quite high,” she said, four times higher than the supply.
They are hoping the additional plasma centres, in areas where there has already been a history of giving blood, will close that gap. Now they need people to start planning to give. The centre will run six days a week, with hours set up for early mornings and into the evenings to cater to as many schedules as possible.
Anyone who wants to learn more about plasma donation, eligibility and more can visit blood.ca. There is also an app, Give Blood, to keep track of your donations.
“We are really grateful for the community,” Aguirre said. “Their generosity is the reason we are opening the permanent clinic, and their commitment to support us.”
Whether it’s a blood or plasma donation, financial donation, volunteering your time, or sharing the information on social media, she said it’s appreciated.
“We are hoping for any help we can get, so we can continue being Canada’s lifeline,” she concluded.
READ MORE: Abbotsford woman urges blood donations in grandson’s memory
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