Mr. Speaker, because the Red Cross hesitated and, in fact, neglected to test blood products for contamination by hepatitis C, several hundred Canadians were infected. This shocking conclusion was mentioned several times in the course of the proceedings of the Krever Commission.
The Red Cross waited until 1990 before using a test to detect hepatitis C, claiming that existing tests were not effective. In 1986, the United States was already using an indirect test to detect contaminated products. Hesitation on the part of the Red Cross between 1986 and 1990 potentially infected 10,000 Canadians.
These damning revelations are the latest in a series of horror stories which have surfaced at the hearings so far. In view of this information, the Krever Commission has a responsibility and a duty to identify those whose irresponsible attitudes led to the death of hundreds of human beings.