Red Cross pleads guilty to charge related to blood tragedy of 1980s
(Hamilton, May 30, 2005) - The Canadian Red Cross today pleaded guilty in Ontario Superior Court to a regulatory charge under the Food and Drugs Act for distributing blood products in the 1980s that were infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C.
Dr. Pierre Duplessis, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Red Cross, says Red Cross acknowledges with profound sadness that people died or became seriously ill after receiving blood products they had trusted to improve their health.
“Red Cross deeply regrets not developing and adopting measures more quickly to reduce the risk of infection,” said Dr. Duplessis. “We could have and should have done more – and we accept responsibility for that. We are very sorry for the suffering that has caused and apologize to those who were infected and their families.”
Today’s announcement marks another step in a process that has brought considerable change to the humanitarian organization in the aftermath of the blood tragedy. The Canadian Red Cross has transferred its blood operations to Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec; used proceeds from the transfer to provide $70 million in compensation to those infected; restructured under bankruptcy protection; and has new leadership.
In entering its plea, the Canadian Red Cross today announced two initiatives it is undertaking to help assure the blood tragedy is not repeated or forgotten.
The first is a $750,000 contribution to establish a national endowment scholarship fund intended to provide ongoing financial assistance to students in Canada whose lives were affected by the blood tragedy. (See backgrounder: Scholarship Fund)
Red Cross is also contributing $750,000 to establish, administer and carry out a National Medical Error Project dedicated to the eradication of casualties caused by inadequate or improper practices in the health care system. (See backgrounder: National Medical Error Project)
“These efforts underscore our belief that justice is also served when it works in productive ways to respond to harm done,” says Dr. Duplessis.
Both initiatives are being funded by monies received by Red Cross through the transfer of its blood operations. Neither will be funded in any way by donations to Red Cross.
The University of Ottawa will house the National Medical Error Project and intends to supplement its funding. It will also administer the educational fund, which allows for students obtaining scholarships to attend any post-secondary institution in Canada.
Dr. Duplessis says the Red Cross plea today does not diminish the contributions of the many thousands of Canadian volunteers and staff who served the organization while it operated blood programming between 1947 and 1998. “They gave of themselves to help millions of people they never knew. They should always be proud of that.
“It’s been a long road,” says Dr. Duplessis. “People come to Red Cross because they want to help others. Knowing our work harmed people – however unintentionally – has been difficult.”
The Red Cross continues as a leading humanitarian organization in Canada. In recent years, it has contributed significantly to assistance provided to those affected by the tsunami in Asia, by 9/11 and other international disasters. In Canada, Red Cross was prominent in the response to SARS, the blackout in Ontario, fires in B.C.; a tornado in Pine Lake; the ice storm in Eastern Canada; and flooding in Badger, Peterborough, Manitoba and the Saguenay.
BACKGROUNDER : Scholarship Fund
BACKGROUNDER : National Medical Error Project
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For more information, please contact:
Suzanne Charest
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Red Cross
Tel.: 613.740.1928
Posted May 30, 2005
