Northern BC residents are once again calling on Canadian Blood Service to restore blood donation tin Prince George, to better support the region.
A petition, called Our Blood Counts, which launched last year is now up to over 1,600 signatures following a spike in support after Quesnel City Council got behind the initiative.
Spokesperson, Mark Karjaluoto explains why plasma is sought after in our country.
“Plasma is used to make specialized medication to help people with immune disorders, cancer, kidney diseases and others. It is something we import a great deal of – 70% of Canada’s plasma comes from the United States.”
“Canadian Blood Services is adding donor centres across the country but they still on expect to hit 50% self-sufficiency for plasma. We see their is a enormous opportunity to build a donor centre in Prince George to bring back blood donation to the region.”
The northern capital has been without a blood donor centre for the last decade.
“What better place than to do it (open a new centre) than right here in Northern BC. We have a good population all around the northern interior and through the petition, that we put forward, they would travel from other parts of the region if another donor centre were available,” added Karjaluoto.
Currently, northern residents have to travel to southern BC or Alberta to donate blood.
Support has also come from councils in the District of Mackenzie, City of Prince George, and Village of Valemount.
The North Central Local Government Association (NCLGA), representing more than 240 elected officials from 42 local and First Nations governments, passed a resolution backing the plasma donor centre at its May convention.
Councillor Jesse Wright of Mackenzie, also an NCLGA board member, explained a plasma centre would serve far more than just one city.
“We hope Canadian Blood Services will understand that people in our region want to give and are used to traveling between Northern communities for business, shopping, education, and health care. This is not just a Prince George project; it’s a Northern BC project, which is why the District of Mackenzie and wider NCLGA membership were more than happy to support the efforts of Our Blood Counts. I would happily include blood donation in Prince George as part of my travels.”
A link to the petition can be found here.
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