No.
Human tissue is not meant to be a revenue stream for private corporations.
We uphold Justice Krever’s recommendations as to how Canada’s blood system should be managed. These are also echoed by the WHO – World Health Organization.
♥ *Blood is a public resource.
♥ *Donors should not be paid.
♥ *Sufficient blood should be collected so that importation from other countries is unnecessary.
♥ *Access to blood and blood products should be free and universal.
♥ *Safety of the blood supply system is paramount.
The ethical considerations are also imperative; it is not the role of poor and vulnerable populations to be sourced for their blood, plasma, kidneys or stem cells.
Private plasma companies often source student populations. This is problematic as it may “culture” our new generation of donors that they need to be paid in order to save a life.
Many people will need blood or blood products in their lifetime and we don’t want to lose a generation of altruistic donors from our public blood system. The “give the gift of life” is just too important.