Press Conference Calls for Legislative Ban on Paid Plasma

On Tuesday, April 10, 2018 NSNU president, Janet Hazelton joined representatives from Bloodwatch.org, the Nova Scotia Health Coalition, and the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union for a press conference calling on the provincial government to pass legislation banning for-profit plasma and blood brokers in Nova Scotia.

Nurses are adamantly opposed to bringing profit into health care, valuing a public system that is not diluted by for-profit companies. The NSNU and CFNU have been speaking out about this issue for years.

During the press conference Hazelton spoke to some of the most concerning issues involved in for-profit plasma, including a lack of quality control and the security of our plasma supply.

“Private companies cannot be trusted to maintain the same level of care that is provided by Canadian Blood Services. One of the first things to be lost when we hand over a publicly administered good to a private company is the ability to control quality,” she explained.

She also discussed how for-profit plasma collection will dilute the plasma supply garnered through our voluntary system.

“Donors often believe their blood and plasma is going to the same place anyway. It is not,” said Hazelton. “The plasma from paid donors will not be helping needy Canadians through our public health care system. It could end up anywhere in the world, to whoever is willing to pay the most.”

“Canada Plasma Resources has legal obligations to its shareholders, whereas Canadian Blood Services has legal obligations to the people of Canada.”

The NSNU joins our colleagues in health care in seeking legislation from the provincial government to ban for-profit plasma in Nova Scotia to protect our plasma supply and those who need it. Without legislation, which has been successful in other provinces, there is nothing stopping paid plasma clinics from opening in our province. We must protect our plasma supply, and we must protect Nova Scotians.