Blood & plasma
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Organizations Unite to Urge Canadian Blood Services Board to Reverse Pay-for-Plasma Contract
CALGARY — Today representatives from health coalitions, unions, and public health care advocacy organizations across the country have come together to express their deep concerns regarding the decision of Canadian Blood Services (CBS) to enter into an exclusive 15-year contract with Grifols, a multinational pharmaceutical company.
This deal effectively privatizes the majority of plasma collection in Canada, as Grifols has taken over other private clinics and will be expanding quickly. The terms of this contract are secret, but what has been made public clearly violates the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that created CBS, and goes against the recommendations of the Krever Commission and World Health Organization guidance.
Written by Alyssa Pretty
June 16, 2023 -
Info-Picket to be held in front of Canadian Blood Services
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.
Written by Alyssa Pretty
December 01, 2022 -
Health Coalitions denounce for-profit deal by Canadian Blood Services that endangers Canada’s Blood Supply
OTTAWA (the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people) - Canada’s provincial and territorial Health Coalitions and the Canadian Health Coalition call for the resignation of the leadership of the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) including the CEO and Board of Directors. This call comes after the appalling decision by CBS to sign a 15-year agreement with a for-profit international pharmaceutical firm to collect plasma.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
September 20, 2022 -
Ending Discriminatory Blood Ban Good News for Canada’s Public Blood Supply
April 28, 2022
EDMONTON
Ending Discriminatory Blood Ban Good News for Canada’s Public Blood Supply
This morning, Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services’ request to end the 3-month deferral period for men who have sex with men, effectively lifting the ban on their ability to donate blood and plasma.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
April 28, 2022 -
With passing of Bill 204, UCP ideology reigns over science & evidence
November 16, 2020
EDMONTON
With passing of Bill 204, UCP ideology reigns over science & evidence
Today, in Alberta’s Legislature, we witnessed ideology win out over the well-being of all Albertans and Canadians. Following the Third Reading this afternoon, the legislative assembly passed Bill 204: Voluntary Blood Donations Repeal Act. In the midst of an unprecedented and worsening public health crisis, Alberta is now on track to allow the corporate collection and global export of Albertans’ plasma.
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Fact Check: Bill 204
Friends of Medicare and other Albertans concerned about the impact Bill 204 will have on our public blood system have been contacting Tany Yao and their MLAs to urge them not to allow this dangerous bill to pass. In response they have been receiving the following standard template letter from both MLA Yao and other UCP MLAs, containing factual errors and misinformation. Friends of Medicare has fact checked this letter to set the record straight: Bill 204 won't help Albertan patients.
Written by Alyssa Pretty
November 10, 2020 -
Bill 204 threatens & undermines our voluntary public blood system
November 3, 2020
EDMONTON
Bill 204 threatens & undermines our voluntary public blood system
Back in March, Friends of Medicare warned Albertans that while our province was grappling with the beginnings of an unprecedented pandemic, private blood brokers were trying to find a way to profit from this dire situation. The Alberta government lobbyist registry showed that a big pharma interest group representing the private for-profit blood industry (Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association represented by Santis Health Inc), was attempting to persuade the government to repeal the Voluntary Blood Donation Act, which bans for-payment blood clinics in the province.
As expected, MLA Tany Yao soon introduced Bill 204: Voluntary Blood Donations Repeal Act, which is now expected for third reading on Monday, November 9. While Mr Yao has insisted that his Bill 204 will help address our domestic plasma supply needs, his mere three page bill contains no stipulations to guarantee that privately collected plasma will remain in Alberta or even Canada. In fact, private blood brokers make their profit on the international market, where they compete to sell their plasma to the highest bidder. In contrast, every single collection within our publicly funded blood system is guaranteed to be used to treat Canadian patients.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
November 03, 2020 -
Bill 204
October 21, 2020
EDMONTONAs Alberta’s MLAs gear up for this year’s fall sitting of the Legislature, Albertans can expect to continue to see steadfast steps to pursue this government's ongoing agenda to privatize our public health care.The October 20th, 2020 order paper indicates that among the first bills up for debate is Bill 204: Voluntary Blood Donations Repeal Act, introduced by MLA Tany Yao. Bill 204 simply calls for the repeal of the Voluntary Blood Donations Act (2017). It offers no alternative to address our current dependency on US plasma-derived products, and no reason to necessitate this repeal except to further this government’s never ending quest to privatize our public resources.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
August 21, 2020 -
Bill 204 openly advertises the sale of blood in Alberta
Bill 204 openly advertises the sale of blood in Alberta
On July 8, 2020 MLA Tany Yao introduced Bill 204: Voluntary Blood Donations Repeal Act. This work-shy, mere 3-page bill simply calls for the repeal of the Voluntary Blood Donations Act (2017). It offers no alternative to address our current dependency on US plasma-derived products, and no reason to necessitate this repeal, except to further this government’s never ending quest to privatize our public resources.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
July 09, 2020 -
Albertans' blood and plasma supply under threat
Albertans' blood and plasma supply under threat
Friends of Medicare have learned that in the coming days. UCP MLA Tany Yao plans to table a private members bill, Bill 204: Voluntary Blood Donations Repeal Act. With this bill, MLA Yao intends to repeal Bill 3: Voluntary Blood Donations Act, which was put into place to protect and enshrine blood and plasma as public resources under law, and to prohibit them from being treated as a market-based commodity.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
June 16, 2020
