Donating blood now a simpler process

Above: Louise Froment donates blood at the July 12 clinic. – Lucie Roy photo

Blood donors experienced something new at the Blood Donor Clinic held July 12 at the Rendez-Vous Centre.

Donors are encouraged to manage their appointments by creating an account and password at blood.ca, selecting a clinic, and booking online.

On checking in at the clinic, donors now have their donor card scanned and do the Donor Questionnaire on a touchscreen tablet. They also have the option of doing the questionnaire in advance by email.

But it’s not all electronic. A trained staff member goes over the questionnaire answers and ask some others to confirm the donor is good to donate.

Once hemoglobin (a protein which contains iron) and blood pressure is checked, the actual donation begins.

The next Blood Donor Clinic will be held Sept. 13 from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Rendez-Vous Centre in Morinville.

For more information or to book an appointment visit blood.ca.