SASKATOON — The federal NDP wants Ottawa to ban plasma clinics that pay donors, but the Saskatchewan health minister says he's OK with plans for one in Saskatchewan.
NDP health critic Don Davies says he's worried about safety.
Davis points out that an inquiry into the tainted blood scandal of the 1980s recommended against paid-donor blood clinics.
Ontario and Quebec have moved to ban such clinics, but Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan says his province won't follow suit.
Duncan points out that 80 per cent of plasma used in Canada comes from paid donors in the United States and Europe.
He says paying for donors here might increase the Canadian supply.
The company involved, Canadian Plasma Resources, says on its website that it performs donor screening as per Health Canada regulations.
