Blood Money
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 14 April 2016 11:00
- Written by editor
Dear Paov --
A thousand people have already sent messages asking Health Minister Terry Lake to ban the sale of blood and plasma and protect our voluntary blood system.
Last week, Minister Lake said he sees no problem with Canadian Plasma Resources -the same company that was kicked out of Ontario after opening a pay-for-plasma clinic near a homeless shelter and drug treatment centre- setting up shop in B.C.
Can you email Minister Lake now calling for a ban on the sale of blood and plasma in B.C.?
We need to make sure Minister Lake hears loud and clear that the public does not want for-profit blood collection in our province -- before CPR can set up clinics in B.C.
Thank you for your support,
Rick
BC Health Coalition, Co-chair
Dear Paov --
A private company is going to move to B.C. and profit off of our blood unless we stop them now.
Tainted blood infected 30,000 Canadians with HIV and Hepatitis C in the 1980’s during one of the worst preventable health crises of our
time. An inquiry into the scandal found that in order to prevent another tragedy, Canada must not allow payment for blood and plasma donations. [1]
But now Canadian Plasma Resources -- the same company that was
kicked out of Ontario after setting up a pay-for-plasma clinic near a
homeless shelter and drug treatment centre -- plans to set up shop in
B.C.
They want to
buy our plasma and export it to be sold on the $11 billion plasma
world market. [2]
Shockingly, this week Health Minister Terry Lake said he’s open to pay-for-plasma in our province. [3]
Can you email Minister Lake now calling for a ban on the sale of blood and plasma in B.C.?
Banning the sale of plasma is the only way to protect our blood system from predatory profiteers.
Ontario and Quebec have both banned selling blood and plasma, and there are signs this week that Alberta will likely do the same. [4]
The sale of organs, tissue, sperm, eggs and embryos are all banned in Canada for good reason. Allowing businesses to pay people for their blood sets us on a very slippery slope to commodifying our body parts.
Not only does pay-for-plasma pose major ethical and public safety problems, it would threaten B.C.’s supply of blood materials. We have a limited pool of potential donors and pay-for-plasma clinics would serve as competition for donors for our voluntary blood system. In Germany, pay-for-plasma clinics have led to a shortage in blood supply for their domestic needs. [5]
Only four countries in the world allow paid plasma. The World Health Organization says all pay for plasma business should be phased out worldwide by 2020. So why would B.C. go in the opposite direction now?
The BC Health Coalition’s public call for a ban is putting a lot of media pressure on Minister Lake, but he still says he’s ok with pay-for-plasma. [6] Now we need to make sure Minister Lake hears loud and clear that the public does not want for-profit blood collection in our province.
Join me in asking Minister Lake to ban blood brokers in B.C. now.
There has been a boom of paid plasma clinics in the US where they collect from vulnerable people who are desperate to supplement their income. Harrowing accounts of “plassing” in the US like this are endemic. [7]
We can’t let this discredited industry into B.C.. Blood is a public resource.
With hope,
Rick Turner
BC Health Coalition co-chair
P.S. Survivors of the 1980’s tainted blood tragedy like Andrew Cumming, people living with HIV at Positive Living BC, and the BC Hemophilia Society, are speaking out in favour of a ban. Can you add your voice to the call to safeguard our voluntary blood system now?
P.P.S. There is no evidence that the collection of plasma from paid donors will create greater self-sufficiency for Canada. Right now there is no shortage of fresh plasma from voluntary donors for transfusions. Canada will still have to import plasma-based drugs unless Canadian Blood Services expands its voluntary plasma collection sites to increase supply of plasma for pharmaceutical products, as recommended in the Krever Report. Instead of increasing domestic voluntary supply, Canadian Blood Services has closed down some of its voluntary plasma collection centres.[8]
P.P.P.S. The BC Health Coalition relies on donations from public health care supporters like you. Can you donate $10 to keep this campaign going?
Sources:
[1] http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/72717/publication.html
[2,
8] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/plasma-pay-tainted-blood-scandal-clinic-cpr-donors-1.3498604
https://cupe.ca/sites/cupe/files/plasma-for-profit-march-2016.pdf
http://healthydebate.ca/opinions/for-profit-plasma-clinics-are-risky-business
[3]
http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/health-minister-lake-not-concerned-with-company-buying-blood-plasma/
[4]
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/should-albertans-be-paid-for-blood-product-donations-private-pay-for-plasma-clinic-eyes-long-term-alberta-expansion
[5]
https://cupe.ca/sites/cupe/files/plasma-for-profit-march-2016.pdf
[6]
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-considers-paying-donors-for-blood-products-despite-ontario-quebec-bans/article29425023/
[7] http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/05/blood-money-the-twisted-business-of-donating-plasma/362012/
British Columbia Health Coalition · 3102 Main St, 302,
Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territories, BC V5T 3G7, Canada
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