Héma-Québec sends a special invitation to type O negative blood donors

Montréal, September 14, 2006 – Héma-Québec's team is deeply saddened for the victims and their families who have gone through the drama that took place at Dawson College. Up to now, Héma-Québec has been able to come up to the numerous demands from hospitals where injured people were sent.

In the wake of this tragic event, Héma-Québec takes all possible steps to maintain the blood products supply at its optimal level, thus coming up to patients' needs. Packed red cells from O negative group are in highest demand in emergency situations because it is the universal blood group. Also, as a precautionary measure, Héma-Québec asked its partner, the Canadian Blood Services, for assistance. CBS supplied 50 packed red cells from the O negative blood group.

In order to maintain the supply at its optimal level, Héma-Québec invites type O negative donors to participate in the blood drives organized in the coming days, more particularly the drive that will be held at Place Ville-Marie on Thursday, September 14, 2006 in the René-Lévesque Lobby, located at 1 Place Ville-Marie, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Priority will be given to those donors at this blood drive as well as at GLOBULE Blood Donor Centres at Place Versailles in Montréal and Place Laurier in Québec city.

The population is invited to consult the blood drives list and the GLOBULE Blood Donor Centres schedule posted on Héma-Québec's website at www.hema-quebec.qc.ca or to call 1 800 343-SANG (7264).

Created in 1998, Héma-Québec is the organization responsible for the efficient procurement of adequate quantities of optimal blood components, substitutes, human tissues and stem cells to meet the needs of all Quebecers. Héma-Québec is 1,300 employees, some 2,000 blood drives and more than 300,000 blood donors every year, 16,000 partner volunteers and 400,000 blood products delivered to hospitals in Québec annually to fulfill the need of 80,000 patients.

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