Nova Scotia says it has no plans to ban paid blood collection
CBC
The Nova Scotia government says it has no plans to ban Nova Scotians from selling their blood to private corporations.
That's as a safe-blood advocate sounds an alarm about the possible arrival of for-profit plasma collection in Nova Scotia.
"The market commercialization of human tissue drives the market and, in a way, that is not conducive to running a safe public system because it makes the product competitive instead of a public-health resource that's managed for the public," said Kat Lanteigne of bloodwatch.org, a national non-profit organization that advocates for blood safety.
Lanteigne said the organization represents hundreds of patients, health-care professionals and survivors of Canada's tainted blood scandal of the 1980s, which saw more than 30,000 Canadians infected by HIV and hepatitis C.
On Sept. 7, Canadian Blood Services announced a deal with Spain-based multinational Grifols to set up a private blood plasma collection system to augment supply from volunteers.
Donors will be paid for their plasma, and Grifols will process it in Canada and sell both domestically and internationally.
"This is about pharmaceutical security of supply," said Canadian Blood Services spokesperson Delphine Denis in an email statement.
Canadian Blood Services says Canada could run short of supply without the deal with Grifols.
"Our priority is to ensure that life-saving immunoglobulin products remain available for patients in Canada," Denis said.
The Canadian Federation of Nurses has spoken against the plan.
The Nova Scotia Nurses' Union is also against privatizing blood collection.
"It would be deeply troubling to see the introduction of private collection clinics in this province, putting profits above ethics, and potentially opening the door to other private health-related enterprise," said union president Janet Hazelton.
"These actions exploit the vulnerable and call into question the future of other health services in Nova Scotia."
The head of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union also has concerns.