I just skimmed through over 100 complaints on the Canadian Blood Services page...
• "I have to drive more than half an hour to get to a clinic"
• "I would donate more but I have to wait 84 days because I am a woman"
• "I would donate more but I want to do a walk-in appointment instead of making an appointment. And if you can't accommodate me every time I walk in, then you obviously don't need donations that badly" (these are real comments, btw).
• "I won't donate anymore because I don't like having to book an appointment. Too bad. My O neg blood could have been useful"
• "They need to change the eligibility requirements for Irish people" **there is no reliable test for Mad Cow Disease, and if you have been exposed then your blood may do much more harm than good**
• "They need to change their eligibility requirements for men who have sex with other men and monogamous relationships" **yes, they do, and they are currently in the process of working on this**
• "If they need blood so bad then they need more clinics in remote areas and more mobile clinics" (yes, in a perfect world they would love to accommodate every donor's exact personal needs and desires, but this is a not-for-profit organization, and to do everything that each person wants would require extra funding and special accommodations due to the logistics of transporting people to administer donations as well as transporting the blood to an official clinic that can store it - and certain aspects of blood do not last long enough to make it worth having a clinic in every single region).
• "I am ineligible, so if they don't want my life-saving blood, then that's not my problem" (if you feel personally shunned by CBS, then that is unfortunate. If you are wanting to donate but are not eligible, consider making a monetary donation instead, or help to change the eligibility requirements that are grossly out of date?)
• "You want my AB neg blood? Make it easier to donate by being open later and having more mobile clinics"
• "I am not going to donate when I have to wait over an hour as a walk-in" (this is why they have been changing to having donors book appointments)
• "The eligibility requirements are too strict" (this comment seemingly only ever happens to be said by people who have never even thought of having to receive blood. I, myself, am VERY HAPPY with the fact that these requirements are strict. In many cases, people needing blood are already more vulnerable than the average person, and we do not want a 'lifesaving' blood transfusion/infusion to make us sicker because of lowered screening standards. Yes there are changes that DO need to be made and are being looked into, but for the most part, the rigid screening requirements are there for a reason, which is ever-evolving).
Yes - it would be amazing if we could have a donation clinic in every single community in every city and remote town in the country, but unless more funds are distributed to CBS, it is not feasible.
Yes - it would be amazing if CBS could accommodate every single person who wants to donate (whether by appointment, by walk-in, by people who believe that their ineligibility is unjustified), but (again) without the funds and without the ability to test for certain diseases that could be passed on to a recipient, there have to be some safeguards and there has to be some structure.
People don't want to drive to a clinic. People don't want to wait in a walk-in clinic. People don't want to have to schedule an appointment. People don't want to have to fill out lengthy forms just to donate. People don't want to wait the required 60-some or 80-some days in between donations. People don't want to donate money because it costs them nothing to donate their blood.
Blood Donation is not a "Fast Food" experience. If you are unwilling to donate because you feel personally victimized by a not-for-profit organization, then that is stubbornness & pride, in most cases. CBS is doing everything they can to make it easier and more convenient for blood donors while also maintaining appropriate screening standards.
If you were on the other side of the coin - if you needed blood but couldn't gain access because someone was unwilling to donate unless
1. There was a clinic within 10 minutes from their home
2. That that clinic could accommodate them IMMEDIATELY whenever they decided to walk in, and
3. That they would not have to fill out a lengthy form and would also be seen within 20 minutes, without booking an appointment
Wouldn't that sound just a little ridiculous??
It is true that there are issues with the system. There are changes that need to be made, there are changes that are currently in the process of being made, and yes, for many people, getting to a clinic, booking an appointment, or waiting in line can absolutely be an inconvenience.
But a small inconvenience in your life might LITERALLY save the lives of many who are in desperate need of your donations.
**I am ill and cannot donate blood. I also rely on blood donations for one of my medications - and this medication has kept me out of the Emergency Room for several months now. Sometimes it can be helpful to ask people who have had to use blood donations - people you know or even strangers - what their success stories are and what positive changes have been made because of blood donations. It might put it in better perspective**