With private company Grifols announcing a phased reopening of paid plasma collection centres in Canada, Friends of Medicare is seeking a ban in Alberta. Following months of public scrutiny, Grifols announced it was temporarily pausing blood plasma collection at all collection sites across Canada, including those in Alberta. The scrutiny followed the deaths of two individuals who sold plasma at the Winnipeg site. Alberta advocates, including Friends of Medicare, secured a provincial ban on paid plasma and blood collection in Alberta, before that legislation was repealed in 2020 by the newly-formed UCP government. Shortly after, Canadian Blood Services signed an exclusive 15-year agreement that handed over the collection of plasma to Grifols. Friends of Medicare, alongside other health coalitions, denounced the decision as dangerous at the time, and warn now against the return of paid plasma collection. “The return of pay-for-plasma to Alberta is bad news for Canadians and Albertans. Serious, ongoing safety concerns have been raised over Grifols’ paid plasma collection sites across the country, including at the Calgary collection site which was found to be non-compliant with federal safety regulations,” said executive director Chris Gallaway. “In the many long months since two people died after selling their plasma to Grifols, we have not seen the urgency we should have to ensure public safety. We should not be allowing these sites to simply reopen after a short pause.” He says Canadians deserve more urgency than a brief pause following safety concerns raised, and to know the details of the deal that allows the for-profit company to operate as an agent of CBS across the country. “We cannot allow another preventable tragedy like the tainted blood scandal to occur. It is past time for Health Canada to step in to protect patients and the integrity of our blood and blood plasma supply in Canada,” said Gallaway. “Canada established evidence-based public solutions to collect blood and plasma safely and voluntarily for a reason. We don’t need to continue down this dangerous for-profit road.” Anna Smith, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Medicine Hat News
