BloodWatch urges Victor Boudreau to oppose paid donations

A petition against paid blood plasma gathering services was presented to New Brunswick Health Minister Victor Boudreau Thursday by the lobby group BloodWatch on Thursday.

More than100 letters from registered nurses opposing any payment for blood plasma was also given to Boudreau.

• Government won't ban paid-plasma clinics in N.B.
• Canadian Blood Services won't rule out paying plasma donors

Lanteigne said 15,000 signatures were gathered from across the country on the online petition. She said they want to present the petition to all the health ministers not yet committed to banning paid for plasma services. Ontario and Quebec have already imposed such bans.

However, Boudreau wasn't convinced.

"As Canadians, approximately 70 per cent of the plasma we use comes from paid donors. Now they're not paid Canadian donors, but they're paid donors just the same," said Boudreau, referring to plasma donations collected in the United States.

He said in a meeting with the health ministers from across the country, the Canadian Blood Service said it was prepared to meet 50 per cent of the country's needs. And that would mean a 50 per cent gap.

Why is it okay to have paid donors from the U.S. and not from Canada?- Victor Boudreau, health minister

Lanteigne wasn't buying that argument and stressed an importance for Canadians to become self-sufficient in blood needs.

"And so all of that plasma that would be [gathered] in New Brunswick would be for export, to be sold around the world to the highest bidder. That actually does nothing to help Canadians become self-sufficient," said Lanteigne.

She also raised health concerns about paid for plasma donors. But Boudreau said there hasn't been an incident since Krever report, a report following a massive blood contamination scandal in Canada in the 1980s.

"Why is it okay to have paid donors from the U.S. and not from Canada?" said Boudreau.