Paid plasma clinics are a threat to our public health.
They allow private companies to buy up plasma to sell to the highest bidder all around the world, undercutting our domestic stockpiles that are crucial to treating sick Canadians. Canadian Blood Services, the organization in charge of our national blood reserves is raising the alarm but they need our help to get the word out. [1]
When the first paid plasma clinic opened up in Saskatoon last February, Canadian Blood Services was willing to give it a chance and see what the effects would be.
They weren’t quite sure that it would pose a substantial threat to Canadians and our supply of plasma. A year later, Canadian Blood Services says the negative effects are already quite clear, with data showing a significant drop in donations. [2]
The practice of selling human materials is dangerous, which is why Quebec and Ontario have already outlawed the practice.
That has not stopped pay for plasma clinics from looking to other provinces like New Brunswick [3] and Nova Scotia, and B.C. all while provinces are already suffering from shortages. [4]
Barzin Bahardoust, CEO of Canadian Plasma Resources, the company operating the pay for plasma clinics said “B.C. is top of our list…”. [5]
We need to speak up now before shortfalls start putting people's lives at risk.
Sources
1 - Canadian Blood Services says paid plasma clinics are harming voluntary donations (CBC) - http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/plasma-canadian-blood-services-1.3906721
2 – Canadian Blood Services Suffers Decrease in Donations (Global) - http://globalnews.ca/news/3152376/canadian-blood-services-suffers-decrease-in-donations/
3 - Work begins on pay for plasma donation clinic in N.B. as ethics debate continues (CTV) - http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/work-begins-on-pay-for-plasma-donation-clinic-in-n-b-as-ethics-debate-continues-1.3177406
4 - Canadian Blood services short 4,800 BC donors in coming three weeks (CBC) - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canadian-blood-service-1.3904621
5 – Pay for plasma system looming in B.C. (CBC) - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/plasma-pay-tainted-blood-scandal-clinic-cpr-donors-1.3498604
6 – What a blood plasma for profit clinic means for public health care (Macleans) - http://www.macleans.ca/society/what-a-blood-plasma-for-profit-clinic-means-for-public-heath-care/
Photo credit Jason Hargrove