/R E P E A T -- Opponents of private blood clinics to host reception on Parliament Hill March 7/

OTTAWA, March 6, 2016 /CNW/ - Opponents of Health Canada's decision to license a private, for-profit, blood plasma clinic in Saskatoon will host a reception for Senators, MPs and members of the media on Monday March 7 as part of their campaign to ensure that Canada's blood system stays in public hands and that its operations are consistent with the findings and recommendations of the Krever inquiry on tainted blood.

	Date:	Monday March 7, 2016
	Time:	7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
	Location:	Room 601, Parliamentary Restaurant, Parliament Hill

 

"The decision by Health Canada to allow Canadian Plasma Resources to open a private, for-profit blood plasma clinic in Saskatoon is wrong and in clear violation of the recommendations of the Krever Commission on tainted blood which explicitly concluded that blood is a public resource and that donors must not be paid," said Kat Lanteigne, co-founder of Bloodwatch.org, a group that advocates on behalf of tainted blood survivors and opposes privatization of the blood system in Canada.

Monday's reception will cap a day of lobbying on Parliament Hill by members of Bloodwatch.org. Members of the group will attend a morning news conference and spend time with Senators and MPs of all parties seeking their support to have Ottawa outlaw private blood clinics across the country, much like Ontario did in 2014 when Canadian Plasma Resources announced plans to open private blood plasma clinics in that province.

Victims of the tainted blood scandal of the 1980s and safe blood advocates will be available to speak to the media at the reception.

SOURCE Bloodwatch.org

Kat Lanteigne, 647-272-7381