There are 41-hundred appointments to be filled in the Saskatoon area by Labour Day to meet patient need.

Canadian Blood Services says a recent survey showed 50 per cent of people who haven’t donated said they are waiting to be asked.

Nationally there are 150,000 open appointments that need to be filled by September 4th.

CBS says the pandemic changed donor behavior and fewer people are donating regularly. This combined with other major recent events across the country are impacting appointment bookings and donor attendance.

Canadian Blood Services normally see a lag from summer but this year that hit earlier than expected. CBS says one in two people in Canada either required blood or blood products themselves, or they have a loved one who has needed it. While one in two are eligible to donate – only one in 81 actually do. This is National Blood Donor Week.