Saint John may keep some blood services
Last Updated: Thursday, October 8, 2009 | 8:17 PM AT
CBC News
Canadian Blood Services' chief operating officer Ian Mumford says decision to consolidate in Halifax was based on demand. (CBC)Canadian Blood Services offered some concessions Thursday to those fighting to keep the agency's processing and distribution centre alive in Saint John.
It's considering maintaining some of the centre's important services, including the collection of blood platelets, which have a short shelf life, said chief operating officer Ian Mumford.
The agency also plans to create a stock holding unit for blood in the city, enough to meet day-to-day hospital needs. It plans to build new donor collection sites in Saint John and Moncton.
The jobs of 17 people are being affected and Canadian Blood Services said it will try to accommodate those people.
The processing of blood products will still be moved to a new consolidated building in Dartmouth, N.S., Mumford said.
The decision, announced Wednesday, is based on demand, he said.
"The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital is the single largest user of blood products in Atlantic Canada … so it makes sense that we would have our facility as close to them as is feasible."
In addition, the hospitals in Halifax use more blood products than the Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton hospitals combined, Mumford said.
"Consolidation into Saint John, would be the least effective way to go," he said. "It would present significant more logistic challenges and it would mean more blood product would be moving through our logistic system."
Not influenced by government
The not-for-profit agency is accountable for its decisions and won't be influenced by government, stressed CEO Graham Sher.
Canadian Blood Services' CEO Graham Sher says the independent agency won't be influenced by government. (CBC)"Governments designed an independent blood system for very good reasons … because in the past, when a system was premised on political decision-making … we've all seen the outcome of that," he said, referring to the tainted blood scandal.
MLA Roly MacIntyre, who attended the news conference, wasn't impressed.
"Biggest red herring I ever heard in my life," he said. "You take our money … then you better be ready to deal with us."
Canadian Blood Services will continue to consult with the medical community about the options being considered, said Sher.
Trial runs will also be done during each season, to address any weather-related concerns about transportation, he added.
Government fight continues
Sher remains hopeful the province will stay with CBS and not pursue other options, such as partnering with Quebec or creating its own provincial blood service. He plans to meet with Health Minister Mary Schryer again on Friday, he said.
Schryer, a Saint John-area Liberal MLA, has said the provincial government will continue lobbying the non-profit agency to keep the services in New Brunswick.
"If the doctors aren't satisfied, the government will not change its mind on wanting to have a production centre in Saint John," Schryer said.
Canadian Blood Services has said it will invest $38 million in the new Nova Scotia facility, along with new blood donor clinics in Halifax in Saint John.
The New Brunswick government offered to pay for a 13,000-square-foot addition to the agency's existing 40,000-square-foot facility, which is located near the Saint John Regional Hospital. The government intended the offer to meet the requirements set out by the Canadian Blood Services.
Progressive Conservative health critic Margaret-Ann Blaney said Canadian Blood Services is trying to appease the province, but the all-party task force struck by the provincial government to keep the agency in Saint John won't back down until all production stays in the province, she said.
