National Post (National Edition)
A senator replies
Re: Wallin shouldn’t be messing with our blood; Marni Soupcoff, Aug. 17
Marni Soupcoff writes that Bill S-252, The Voluntary Blood Donations Act, which I introduced on May 29, “came almost out of the blue.”
The drafting of Bill S-252 was conducted over months of consultation with stakeholders, advocates, and Canadian Blood Services. These stakeholders have been calling for federal legislation; in fact, 80 per cent of submissions to Health Canada from stakeholders have opposed the proliferation of paidplasma schemes in Canada. We should remember Justice Krever’s Commission Report released in 1997 called for Canada’s blood donor system to be completely voluntary and for blood to remain protected as a public resource.
This bill aims to correct the federal government’s profound mistake to allow private, for-profit companies to collect plasma in exchange for prepaid gift cards or cash. These same companies often target the less fortunate and vulnerable for these types of solicitations. And we should remember that the aim is to export their blood internationally.
The evidence shows that private, for-profit operations undermine the voluntary system. They are in a direct competition for plasma donations with our non-profit system, and we know there are already blood supply shortages.
Maintaining a voluntary blood donor system has been on the radar for six years. Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia all took action to pass provincial legislation (similar to the bill I have introduced) to stop private collections, which do nothing to improve access to blood or blood product for Canadians. Of course, paid-plasma clinics do screen the plasma they collect for blood-borne viruses, such as HIV, but this is not the issue at hand.
Our very own national blood authority has warned the federal government repeatedly that paid-plasma will not and cannot secure blood for patients that need it most.
It’s time the federal government finally heed the advice of Canadian Blood Services, Justice Krever’s report and the WHO. In order to protect our national blood donor system, supporting this legislation is critical. Sen. Pamela Wallin, Ottawa
(CANADIANS’) LITTLE TRIBES (BECOME) POLITICAL CLIENTELES. — MAXIME BERNIER