Thanks to the hard work of many of you in raising the alarm about pay for plasma Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has reversed their position, saying that the private sale of plasma is harming voluntary donations. [1]

Canadian Blood Services’ warning provides an excellent opening for the federal government to outlaw pay for plasma. Can you make a quick call to Health Minister Jane Philpott letting her know that you support the federal government banning this practice?

BCGEU has been driving forward the issue in our province, through funding and direct participation. Working together to tackle this issue over the last year we have:

• Toured the province raising the issue – holding numerous town halls along the way.
• Forced meetings with the Minister – calling for government intervention.
• Supported the work of BloodWatch – as key funders in B.C., with components 4 and 8 going over and above what funding the BCGEU provided.

It is because of the pivotal role our Union played that we can celebrate this victory, but we need to press our advantage now. Click here to make a call to Jane Philpott telling her to ban pay for plasma in Canada.

The fight is not over, and we are working against the clock to stop these clinics from popping up across Canada and even right here in B.C.[2-3] Barzin Bahardoust, CEO of Canadian Plasma Resources, the company operating the pay for plasma clinics said “B.C. is top of our list…”. 

We know the practice of selling human materials is dangerous, that’s why Ontario and Quebec have banned pay for plasma. Now we need to stop these clinics at the federal level before they have a chance to bleed our public stockpiles dry.  Call the Health Minister now: http://nobloodforcash.bcgeu.ca/

In Solidarity,

Sherry Ogasawara
Vice President Health Services, BCGEU

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 – 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

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