Saskatchewan

On Monday, Philpott came under fire after NDP health critic Don Davies called on Health Canada to shut down Canadian Plasma Resources in Saskatoon. The clinic opened its doors last month offering $25 gift cards for every plasma donation. But a Saskatoon doctor isn’t convinced there’s a need for pay-for-plasma blood clinics and wonders whether […]

Blood plasma is the yellow fluid that remains once white and red blood cells and platelets are removed. It can be used in transfusions, although Canadian Plasma Resources is focused on providing plasma to make a variety of medical treatments, from helping people who have clotting disorders to some cancer medications. Critics say collecting plasma […]

A reception is being held on Parliament Hill Monday to seek the support of politicians to have Ottawa outlaw private blood clinics in Canada. The organizer is a group that advocates on behalf of tainted blood survivors and has launched bloodwatch.org. Members of “Blood Watch” are protesting Health Canada’s decision to license a private, for-profit, […]

Closing the blood plasma collection clinic that opened last month in Saskatoon, and banning any others that pay donors, must be done in the name of safety and learning from the past, said the federal NDP’s health critic. “In the ’80s, roughly 30,000 Canadians were infected with Hepatitis and HIV because of a tainted blood […]

Groups advocating blood safety are calling on the federal government to stop the practice of compensating donors for giving blood. The Canadian Health Coalition and Bloodwatch.org held a joint news conference in Ottawa Tuesday. Both groups are calling on government to revoke the licence for Canadian Plasma Resources. Read the full article on the CBC […]

The federal NDP wants Ottawa to ban plasma clinics that pay donors, but the Saskatchewan health minister says he’s OK with plans for one in his province. New Democrat health critic Don Davies says he’s worried about safety. “We’ve been down this road before,” Davies said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Nearly 30,000 Canadians […]

The topic of paying people to donate blood products has been controversial. The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour are asking the province to ban the practice. “When you start selling it, it quits becoming a public resource,” says CUPE Saskatchewan president Tom Graham. “It’s adding another level of privatization […]

Health Minister Dustin Duncan defended the opening in Saskatoon of a blood plasma collection clinic that pays its donors. “We’re pleased they have chosen to open the first one in Saskatchewan. We certainly believe we need to be a part of the solution when it comes to increasing our self-sufficiency when it comes to plasma […]

The likelihood of Canadian Plasma Resources setting up shop in Saskatoon has caused some bad blood in political circles and raised questions about Saskatchewan health care. Plasma donation takes no longer than 90 minutes. It’s similar to donating blood, but the cells are returned to the donor and only the plasma is taken. This means […]

Canada’s first for-profit plasma donor clinic opened last week in Saskatoon. But critics say it could threaten the safety of Canada’s blood supply. In February 2016, Canadian Plasma Resources officially opened Canada’s first for-profit plasma clinic in Saskatoon. The donors receive $25 gift card for each donation. The plasma will be sent to a pharmaceutical […]

The debate over paid plasma can be complex, as is the conversation about what impact it could have on supply. A pay-for-plasma clinic recently opened in Saskatoon where people are given $25 credit cards in exchange for a donation, and there have been conversations across the country over the implications of these kinds of clinics. […]