Lack of O-positive blood donors in Quebec sparks surgery cancellations

A Quebec woman is appealing to O-positive blood donors to replenish Héma-Québec's supply as the organization faces a shortage in donations.

Quebec has cancelled elective surgeries requiring O-positive blood until further notice as a result of the shortage.

"It really surprised me, and it showed me that our system is very fragile," Huguette Turcotte, a Quebec City resident, said.

Turcotte has been waiting to receive hip replacement surgery for nearly two years.

On Nov. 4, 2020, two weeks before her birthday, she received news that she would finally get the operation, but her hopes were shattered when her appointment had to be cancelled because of a shortage of O-positive blood.

"I never thought that a blood shortage would lead to my surgery being cancelled," she said.

According to Héma-Québec, 1,000 blood donations are needed every day to keep blood banks at an optimal level.

But for the past 18 months, the organization has experienced a drop in donors and a rise in demand.

Since the beginning of October, the group saw an increased need from hospitals for O-positive blood in particular, the blood type of around 40 per cent of Quebecers.

Héma-Québec appealed to donors in mid-October, in hopes of getting 400 additional donations every day.

Currently, around 1,200 blood donations are made daily, which can cover urgent needs, but the organization says that's not enough to tackle the backlog of recent months.