THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff thinks he’s got a solution to an urgent, nationwide need for plasma.
Boshcoff says he plans to ask Canadian Blood Services to reopen its Thunder Bay plasma donation centre, which closed more than a decade ago, in 2012.
“A number of years ago we had an extremely successful at the time, and for reasons unknown, it was closed down,” Boshcoff said on Monday.
“I believe if there’s a blood issue or a plasma issue in the country, we already have trained professionals here, or can get them. And we already have a huge cadre of people here who would be willing to come back and donate on a regular basis.”
Last week, Canadian Blood Services issued an urgent plea for both blood and plasma donors, noting winter storms had led to appointment cancellations across the country, leaving blood and plasma supplies dangerously low.
“The national blood inventory has declined by over 35 per cent since the start of October. Currently, we have three or four days on hand of several blood types. The ideal inventory of fresh blood products is between five and eight days. We can and will turn this around and we need donors to fill all open appointments,” said Rick Prinzen, Canadian Blood Services’ chief supply chain officer, in a release issued on Dec. 27.
Boshcoff said he’s yet to speak with Canadian Blood Services regarding the reopening of a Thunder Bay plasma collection centre, but plans to this week.
“If you don’t ask, if you don’t raise your hand, and if you don’t stand up, then people won’t know that you’re willing to do this.”
When the Thunder Bay clinic closed in 2012, it had 28 full- and part-time employees, as well as two contract physicians.
At the time Canadian Blood Services said all options for the Thunder Bay site were reviewed, including the possibility of starting a blood-collection program, but there was no sustainable alternative for a plasma program in the city.
There were about 1,500 donors and 13 active volunteers at the time of the clinic’s closure.
