Health Committee on Feb. 10th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I call the meeting to order.

We begin now with a round of questions. It begins with Mr. Bailey, who's sharing with Ms. Konanz. You're going to split six minutes into three and three.

Go ahead. Start, Mr. Bailey.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Could you please explain to me how you deal with expired stock? Is it a common practice to be sharing it with a health institution, or does it go to an online auction?

[Nancy Hamzawi, President, Public Health Agency of Canada]

We divest surplus, expired or obsolete medical countermeasures as part of our routine life-cycle management and in compliance with Treasury Board policies and directives. Our first attempt is to transfer to another federal department before the product expires, and to provinces and territories, and then we consider sale, followed by donation. As a last resort, we look at recycling and disposal options. Once expired, medical devices cannot be deployed, and are recycled or disposed of in compliance with Health Canada regulations and Treasury Board's policies and directives.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you.

With the sheer cost of these vials—we're talking about over $2,000 a vial—why wouldn't these fridges have a locking mechanism, a medical-grade latch lock? Is that something that has been explored? Especially, when you talk about foreign actors, possibly a mischievous employee, I'm wondering whether it has been considered that there should be locks on these fridges.

[Nancy Hamzawi]

We have been looking at all options. We have a whole series of refrigerators and freezers that are in use within the national emergency strategic stockpile.

In terms of the employees who have access to the NESS, it is restricted. There are certain security requirements that are required to enter the facility. There's a record of who is in the facility, at what time and on what date, so there are very careful measures that are put in place.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

However, a fridge door could be left open. I'm referring to this: Why isn't there a locking mechanism on the fridge? When you go into a hospital, they don't just leave fridges that you can just open; they are locked. There's a master key. Why didn't that happen?

[Stacey Mantha, Director General, Regional Operations and Emergency Management Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada]

As Ms. Hamzawi alluded to, there's a layered security protocol for physical security. There are graded layers of security to access not just our facility locations but also the area of our holdings where drug medical countermeasures are held. There's already a layered and gradated facility access requirement.

[Burton Bailey, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Thank you. I'm going to turn it over to Mrs. Konanz now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

That was nicely done, Mr. Bailey.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Can you tell me, in a few sentences, how you will prevent this from happening again?

[Nancy Hamzawi]

This was a one-time incident. It has not occurred again. It is not a regular occurrence. We've looked back over the record. We couldn't actually identify another time when this occurred.

There were a number of factors at play in this particular instance. An investigation was undertaken, and we have developed an action plan, which is largely complete. What is not completed includes an interim modernized temperature monitoring system. We have interim measures now in place for how we review and monitor the temperature in these—

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

It wasn't up to a modernized standard. You would think that we would be using the most modern equipment, to begin with, for something this important to Canadians.

[Nancy Hamzawi]

Absolutely. We are using modernized equipment, but in terms of our updated standard operating procedures, we're adding another layer of belts and suspenders just to make sure that we avoid any replication in the future.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Ms. Hamzawi, or anyone who would like to answer this, when you have a $20-million loss, how is there no one held accountable? It's not that we have to publicly punish, but how is no one held accountable?

[Nancy Hamzawi]

Through the review process, there was no single individual for whom a reprimand was warranted. There were a number of factors at play, including adjustments that were required to some of our standard operating procedures. No determination was made at the time, based on that.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Okay.

[Nancy Hamzawi]

I look forward to the Auditor General's report on this in terms of her findings and any further recommendations she may have for us to pursue.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Can Canadians feel secure in this stockpile now? Can they be secure that if something happens, some emergency happens, we are ready for it?

[Nancy Hamzawi]

My short answer is “yes”. Before the pandemic, we had 34 employees. We have about 100 employees now. At the time, before the pandemic, we were investing $5 million per year. We are now, this year, at over $220 million in much more expanded suites of medical countermeasures to be ready for any possible threat the country could face for which we are concerned in terms of the risk assessment we undertake with our colleagues in the security family.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I will now go to the Liberals.

Mr. Eyolfson, you have six minutes, please.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Winnipeg West, MB]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you all for coming. This is very interesting.

If I start asking a question that goes back to the in camera material, please remind me of it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Be careful, though, Mr. Eyolfson.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Winnipeg West, MB]

That's what I mean. Yes, I'm being careful.

Mr. Bailey stole my question about locking. I was going to ask exactly the same thing.

[Nancy Hamzawi]

On locking, I would note that in some cases—for example, some that I have seen—it's not that there are no locks. There are some areas that are locked. There are grades of locking. I just wanted to add that.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Winnipeg West, MB]

Thank you.

Are they now looking at sensors—again, if this is not for in camera—or something that might tell you that the door has become ajar? From what I understand, the box expanded and the door came up. It was only the width of a piece of paper. Has that been rectified? Would that now be detected if this happened again?