Mr. Speaker, today Canada's new blood agency takes over the duties of the Red Cross.
Will this new Canadian blood services agency be better positioned to prevent infected blood in the future? In my judgment the following issues still need to be addressed.
One, ultimate authority for the blood system should rest with the federal health minister. His accountability should be clear and precise.
Two, Canadians should be encouraged to donate their own blood prior to elective surgery. This would reduce donor demand and increase safety.
Three, research into blood substitutes should be a primary focus of any modern blood agency.
Only when these three issues are addressed will we begin again to trust our blood transfusion service.