Canadian Blood Services ingoring Krever Report
Since the announcement by Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in late March 2009 to close their only blood processing laboratory in New Brunswick, the medical community and the doctors who use blood products have warned CBS this decision can cost lives and create longer healing times to patients who rely on these blood products. We are taking a stand against CBS’s reckless disregard for public safety.
A team of medical representatives, Task Force representatives and Canadian Blood Service Workers and representatives will be heading to Ottawa to meet with the CBS Board of Directors on June 23rd to explain why this closure cannot happen.
The CBS plan is to stop processing blood in the Saint John, NB laboratory, one that is ranked within the top three (3) in Canada, we will continue collecting blood in New Brunswick and drive it all the way down to Dartmouth, NS to be processed and then drive it all the way back to New Brunswick. Not only does this not make sense, it’s dangerous, especially in an emergency situation. We have had several meetings with the CEO, Graham Sher, but we have yet to meet with the Board of Directors. We are concerned the Board of Directors has not been properly informed of the seriousness of the risks associated with the proposed changes.
So far top officials have turned their backs on the New Brunswick medical community’s concerns that the closure of our only blood processing laboratory in New Brunswick will prolong recovery times and can potentially cost lives.
Despite these health concerns, CEO Graham, had announced this closure is based on financial reasons and has told New Brunswick, “The ship has sailed”.
Meanwhile, in 2006 there were 88 CBS officials in Ontario making over $100,000 a year. In three (3) short years that number has almost tripled to 188 in 2009 and is costing an additional $26 million dollars.
Even though CBS is a publicly funded and regulated non-profit organization, CEO Graham Sher’s salary has increased by over $114,000 in three short years to a whopping $670,000 in 2009.
Despite increase in management staff, New Brunswick has seen cut backs on the front line staff, the number of clinics held and the number of beds at the clinics, now CBS wants to close our only processing lab just to save more money despite health risks, this clearly shows CBS Executive is out of control.
By ignoring the NB medical community’s health concerns, we feel CBS is violating several recommendations of the Krever Report and their own mandate; to improve safety, involving the public and stakeholders groups in decision making and restoring public confidence. We fear CBS is more concerned with improving their finances by cutting corners than the health and well being of New Brunswick citizens.
We feel it is necessary to present our health concerns to the Board of Directors directly to show them how the decision process to close the laboratory was flawed right from the start and all of the health risks associated with the closure. We will be demanding CBS, to keep our world class laboratory, performing blood processing needs for New Brunswick and surrounding provinces.
If, for some reason the Board of Directors ignores our health concerns and requests to keep the laboratory fully functioning, we will have no other option but to call for a “Post Krever Inquiry” in the hope of avoiding another blood tragedy.
The board of Directors will also hear that if this decision is not reversed, how each and every Board Member, can be held criminally liable for any ill health effect that can be associated to the laboratory closure once they are directly informed of the health risks, if they fail to take all reasonable precautions. We will show that CBS is taking a reckless disregard for public safety.
