By Katie Strachan
The Oshawa Express

The Canadian Blood Services says 90,000 new donors are needed to continue to meet the ever-increasing blood transfusion demand.
It’s for this very reason that the permanent blood donor clinic in Oshawa has changed its clinic’s hours in an effort to encourage more residents to roll up their sleeves and donate blood.
The new hours will allow residents additional opportunities to escape their hectic lifestyle and give blood.
“We understand everyone is busy and it is sometimes difficult to find the time to donate blood. Our new hours respond to this,” says Community Development Coordinator Janine Smith.
“If it has been a while since your last donation, we would love to see you again.”
Smith says new donors are especially important right now as the demand for blood continues to climb.
Canadian Blood Services forecasts show 922,000 units of blood – one donation equals one unit – will be needed by patients across the country over the next fiscal year.
“Changing our hours to meet the needs of residents is an important step as we encourage new donors to roll up their sleeves to help patients,” says Smith.
Central Ontario hospitals follow the national trend of increasing need for blood, says the Canadian Blood Services. The Central Ontario region is one of the heaviest users of the blood system due to a large concentration of local and regional hospitals, especially in Toronto.
Local blood donors like those who give blood at the Oshawa clinic, supply blood for patients at 57 area hospitals. In fact, Canadian Blood Services says that last year, patients in these hospitals required 196,975 units of blood.
Because of this, Central Ontario was forced to import more than 50,000 units of blood from other regions across Canada to make up the shortfall.
 “Although there was not a blood shortage because our region is part of a national inventory system, we need to become more sufficient,” says Smith.
“We understand the change in hours will be a change for some of our donors, but by providing more convenient appointment times, additional residents will be able to fit blood donation into their lives. Taking an hour to give blood is a very direct way to make a difference.”
The Oshawa permanent Blood Donor Clinic is located at 1300 Harmony Road North. Call 1-888-2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) to make an appointment.
Walk-ins are welcome as well.
The clinic is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.