Canadian Blood Services to close 3 clinics

Canadian Blood Services says it is closing closing three permanent clinics, discontinuing mobile blood donor clinics in 16 communities and endingthe bloodmobile program.

A spokesman for the blood agency said Thursdaythe three permanent clinics shutting down by June 1 are:

• Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
• Sydney, Nova Scotia.
• Prince George, B.C.

"There will be no impact on patient care; hospitals and clinics will continue to receive ample blood supply, as they always have,"Ian Mumford, chief supply chain officer forCanadian Blood Services said in a release.

"In recent years, we have seen a slight decline in the demand for blood products that has been caused by more efficient approaches to blood use and conservation as well as a variety of medical advances and international trends."

Mumford added collection targets fell "to align with this decline in demand."

The agency said the decision to close clinics was based on factorsincluding the overall volume of units collected, labour and transportation costs, and the distance to the nearest production site.

Mobile clinics will be closed in these 16 communities by June 30:

• Three Hills, Alta.
• Assiniboia, Esterhazy, Moosomin, Southey, Kipling, Lumsden, Meadow Lake, Rocanville, and White City, Sask.
• Swan Lake, Man.
• Fort Frances, Ont. Deep River, Ont., Lucan (London), Cayuga (Hamilton) and Minden (Toronto).

The permanent site in Sarnia, Ont.,will be replaced with a mobile clinic.

Canadian Blood Services projects a four per cent decline in demand for red blood cells this year.