EDMONTON — Friends of Medicare and concerned Albertans will be holding an information picket outside of Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in Edmonton at noon today, December 1. This action coincides with events being held outside of CBS locations in Ottawa, ON, Dartmouth, NS and elsewhere.
Health Coalitions, unions, and advocacy organizations from across the country have denounced CBS' recent decision to enter an undisclosed 15-year deal with Grifols, a multinational pharmaceutical company, to privatize plasma collection in Canada.
"This deal hands control of the supply of plasma and associated therapies therapies over to a private, for-profit company, rather than prioritizing the health care needs of Canadian patients," says Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. "It is an undemocratic violation of the trust that the public placed in CBS to protect the public blood and plasma collection system, and must be reversed."
Health care advocates in Edmonton and across the country are marking December 1 by calling on the CBS Board, the CBS management and health ministers across the country to cancel this contract and renew their commitment to expanding public, voluntary, donation of plasma.
Friends of Medicare's executive director, Chris Gallaway, will be available for comment at the event.
Where: In front of Canadian Blood Services, 8249 114 St NW, Edmonton
When: Thursday, December 1, 12:00 pm MST
Additional information about this event can be found here: https://www.friendsofmedicare.org/stop_for-profit_plasma_collection_info_picket