THUNDER BAY — Canadian Blood Services has confirmed its new Thunder Bay plasma donation centre will open in April.
In advance of the opening, the national organization has been advertising in the community for people to sign up to donate plasma, which is made into immunoglobulins. They are given intravenously to patients with compromised immune systems or neurological disorders.
“At this point in time we have been engaging with organizations (and) companies, just letting them know about the fact that we are coming,” said Judy Jones, the associate director of sales and execution with Canadian Blood Services. “Just increasing that awareness, just letting people know that they can book appointments now.”
At this point, those bookings can be done online or over the phone, she said.
Canadian Blood Services previously operated a plasma donor centre in the city, but shuttered it in 2012, citing a lack of demand. That has changed over the past 12-plus years, Jones said.
“The need for plasma has increased over the last number of years and so we're really looking to Canadians to help support Canadian patients,” she said.
“The more you do this, the more we'll be able to help those that are in our own communities and making sure we provide the products that they need, that is allowing them to have that healthy lifestyle that they can have with their families.”
Jones said crews have been working to get the space, located at 369 Main Street in the Thunder Centre, ready for some time now.
“Our team has been training and getting themselves all ready, and we're looking to welcome donors in April to come and donate plasma with Canadian Blood Services,” she said.
The Thunder Bay location will be the 10th new donor centre, CBS will be opening.
According to the Canadian Blood Services website, in general, to donate plasma, people must be over 110 pounds (50 kilograms), are 17 or older, are in general good health and meet other eligibility criteria.
An eligibility quiz on the site asks questions such as whether one has had a tattoo or piercing in the past three months, whether one has travelled outside of Canada, the U.S., Europe or Antarctica in the past three weeks, whether one has had certain types of dental work done recently and if one is pregnant or had a baby in the past six months.
People are screened by CBS staff before being allowed to donate.
Jones said they’re expecting uptake may be slow at first, which is why early outreach is important.
“We understand it's going to be a slow build as we get out there (and) get out into the community, start creating that awareness,” she said. “We'll build month over month, quarter over quarter as we're going through it.”
