Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Issue 14 - Evidence
OTTAWA, Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, to which was referred Bill S-214, respecting a National Blood Donor Week, met this day at 10:45 a.m. to give consideration to the bill.
Senator Art Eggleton (Chairman) in the chair.
[English]
The Chairman: Honourable senators, welcome to this meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
[Translation]
This morning, we are studying Bill S-214, respecting a National Blood Donor Week.
[English]
I want to introduce and welcome two witnesses before us today. First, we have Steven Harding from Canadian Blood Services. He is the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications. He is responsible for marketing, market knowledge, public affairs, media and stakeholder involvement programs. He is also a founding member of the Conference Board of Canada's newest Council for Chief Marketing Executives and is a founding member of the International Blood Services BenchMarketing Council for marketing and donor loyalty, made up of representatives the Canada, the U.K., the U.S.A. and Australia.
[Translation]
We also welcome Mr. André Roch, of Héma-Québec.
[English]
From 1991 to 1998, he worked for the Canadian Red Cross as Acting Director General for the Quebec region, director of the Red Cross blood transfusion services, director of corporate services, director of administrative service, director of marketing, and he has been with Héma-Québec since its creation in 1998.
[Translation]
Mr. Roch is currently the Vice-President, Public Affairs and Marketing at Héma-Québec.
[English]
Welcome to both of you. I will start with Mr. Harding.
Steve Harding, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Canadian Blood Services: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Honourable members and colleagues, I want to say a special thank you to Senator Mercer and Senator Cochrane, who have worked tirelessly at moving forward the National Blood Donor Week bill. I want to say thank you for their great efforts. We started this legislation several years ago, and it is moving ahead to the great cause. Thank you for bringing this week closer to reality.
Since our inception, Canadian Blood Services, along with our colleagues at Héma-Québec, have worked tirelessly at restoring confidence in the blood system. We have also worked hard to advance the science of transfusion medicine and making Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec one of the safest blood systems in the world. We all can be proud of that, as Canadians.
However, we are here today because more must be done. We want your help to move our agenda forward.
Every year in Canada, hundreds of thousands of people receive blood components or blood products following accidents, during surgeries, for cancer treatments, for burn therapy or other blood-related treatments and diseases.
To put this need into perspective, over 50 per cent of Canadians have required blood or have a family member who has needed blood in his or her lifetime, yet less than 4 per cent of Canadians donate blood. For us, that is the harsh reality. Now that we have a safe blood system, we must turn our efforts to recruiting more blood donors to our cause.
If you look at a room of 100 people, 50 people in that room will require blood, have needed blood products or have had a family member that needed blood. Yet, only four people in that room donate blood. We need to work toward that imbalance in the country, and that is why we need your help today.
Behind the scenes, dedicated donors and volunteers donate blood, plasma, platelets and bone marrow to help their fellow Canadians regain their health and vitality. All of them donate on a voluntary basis. They do this willingly, with no expectation of remuneration. We have a voluntary system at the core of the blood system in Canada that we want to reinforce and build on as a main strength.
When we ask Canadians why they donate, they tell us heartwarming stories about having known someone who needed blood. They know it is the right thing to do. They give back to their community. It is a tangible way they can make a difference and save lives. The reasons are all positive and altruistic, but we need to raise awareness of the cause. Once we raise awareness, the asking is simple, and people often rise to the challenge. Awareness is a main issue.
Over the past year, donors have given over 870,000 whole blood donations, 30,000 platelet donations, 52,000 apheresis plasma donations and have volunteered over 280,000 volunteer hours. That record is incredible, a great testament to the altruistic nature of Canadians and something that we want to promote and celebrate in this bill as well.
It is an enormous commitment on their behalf, and I am sure you will agree that this is worthy of recognition by the Senate of Canada through a national blood donor week. It will give us a chance to raise awareness of voluntary blood donation in Canada and ask more people to make a donation.
In addition, this bill will go a long way in terms of raising awareness for blood donation and the importance of a continual supply of blood, plasma and platelets for the 742 hospitals in Canada that Canadian Blood Services serves across the country.
Here are some facts that will put this need into context for you as well. On average, every minute of every day, someone needs blood products or blood.
A patient who undergoes a liver transplant can need up to 100 units of blood in that single transplant. It takes 100 donors to deliver those blood products for that patient. There is no other way that we can provide blood to hospitals. It is purely from blood donors. There is no way to manufacture blood and its components artificially. It only comes from one place: you and me. That is the message we want to get out.
This year, to meet increasing demand of blood products in Canada, we must collect over 880,000 units of whole blood to meet patient needs.
Because of our limited shelf life, the blood system must ensure an ongoing supply of blood. Many Canadians think we can bank blood. In fact, blood has a limited shelf life. Blood can last only 42 days before we must discard the product; platelets have a five-day shelf life. That is news to many people in Canada who have given blood once five years ago and think that they have done their part, but, in fact, we must have blood donors giving every few months if possible. Blood donors can give every 56 days. The ongoing need is the key message that we want to deliver in terms of the awareness of blood and blood donation.
There is also a challenge of replenishing our donor base. Right now, over 40 per cent of our donors are between 40 and 60 years of age. Baby boomers turned 60 this year. In 10 years, baby boomers will hit 70, and the challenge for us is to create the next generation of blood donors and encourage the next generation to give, following in the steps of the baby boomers who have given so much to the country.
In real terms, we need to recruit 80,000 new donors every year. In terms of the number of people, we need 80,000 new donors to give each and every year to join the system.
Those are some of the reasons that the national blood donor week bill will have a significant impact on the blood systems in Canada, and we can benefit from your help and support.
It is of particular significance this year that Canada has been asked by the World Health Organization to host World Blood Donor Day in 2007. It is a great honour, and this bill at this time would give us additional support to place Canada on the global stage in terms of celebrating and thanking voluntary blood donors in the country.
Participating in this international forum will also help raise awareness among ethic communities to encourage more ethnic donors to come forward and balance our donor base. We need to make it much more representative of the Canadian population as it continues to diversify.
Once again, on behalf of Canadian Blood Services, thank you for your support of this life-saving cause. Our donors and volunteers are the lifeblood of our communities. They are truly Canada's every day heroes.
Thank you for this bill to support blood donation in Canada.
[Translation]
André Roch, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Marketing, Héma-Québec: Mr. Chair, first I would like to thank you for welcoming us here today and allowing Héma-Québec to voice its opinion on establishing a National Blood Donor Week.
I would like to make special mention of the enthusiasm of Senator Mercer and Senator Cochrane, who, in the early stages of our discussions with Canadian Blood Services, supported the idea of a week honouring Canada's blood donors.
Every day, every hour, all around the world, people of all ages and from all walks of life need a blood transfusion to survive or improve their qualify of life. Unfortunately, not all countries have Canada's opportunity to have access to a blood supply system when needed. We owe this opportunity to the people who promote blood donation.
To recognize their efforts, Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services recommended that the Parliament of Canada designate the second week in June ``National Blood Donor Week,'' coinciding with Word Blood Donor Day.
Establishing and celebrating this Week would promote blood, plasma, platelet and bone marrow donation as a civic duty. This designated Week would increase our public visibility, highlighting the importance of taking action today and the need to recruit for tomorrow.
In operation since September 28, 1998, Héma-Québec is responsible for providing an adequate supply of top-quality blood components and substitutes, human tissue and stem cells to meet the needs of all Quebeckers. Héma-Québec must collect an average of 1,000 donations a day to fulfil its vital mission. Each year, over 400,000 blood products are delivered to Quebec hospitals to meet patient needs.
Volunteerism is essential to Héma-Québec's activities. We count on 300,000 donors and 16,000 individuals across Quebec who devote hundreds of thousands of hours to recruiting donors and promoting and organizing blood drives.
In good years and bad, with the invaluable cooperation of our community partners, we organize over 3,000 blood drives. It is worth noting that, since 1998, Quebec has never faced a shortage in blood products, thanks to the altruism and generosity of Quebeckers.
To maintain a safe and adequate blood reserve, we are increasing our activities to raise awareness about donating blood. To meet our goals, we have to build loyalty among our existing donors, encourage them to give blood more often and urge potential first-time donors to make this priceless gesture.
Over 67 per cent of our donors are 40 years of age and older. Given the aging population and the constant need for blood products, Héma-Québec's top priority is to secure the next generation of donors as well as volunteers for blood drive organizing committees.
Together with our community partners, we are working to interest young people in donating blood, for example by involving them in organizing blood drives in their schools, CÉGEPs and universities. The number of first-time donors in these drives is very encouraging.
Blood components — by-products of blood donations — are vital but perishable resources. Their limited shelf life, particularly platelets, combined with the necessity of ensuring a blood supply of at least six days, makes the blood supply challenge even more significant. Thanks to a rigorous selection of donors, modern screening tests that are carried out on all blood units and the experience of Héma-Québec's team, the blood supply has never been as safe as it is today.
Knowing that every 80 seconds someone in Quebec needs blood, we all — individually and collectively — have a role to play in ensuring an adequate blood supply for Quebecers. Donating blood is a true humanitarian commitment, an act of civic solidarity.
For the past few years, Héma-Québec has used Word Blood Donor Day, which is recognized in more than 80 countries, to thank donors for their altruism and generosity. It is also an opportunity to educate people about this noble cause and encourage people to become donors. We have to keep reminding people that there is a daily need for blood products and that giving blood is the easiest way to save lives. It is a heroic deed.
In Quebec, approximately 80,000 people receive blood products. A large number of patients and surgeries require one, if not many, transfusions. Our organization must be innovative and find various ways to recognize and thank existing blood donors. We must also come up with creative ways to build loyalty.
According to our data, while only three percent of people of age to donate do it and 97 per cent consider doing it, it appears that 25 per cent of the eligible population has shown interest in giving blood in the coming year. We must convince this portion of potential donors to act.
The blood supply depends entirely on the generosity of people who care about sharing the priceless gift of good health. We believe it is right to designate a week to thank them. We feel strongly that this Week will promote an activity that directly improves the lives of people, both in Quebec and across Canada.
Thank you for your attention and support. I look forward to answering your questions.
[English]
The Chairman: I want to note a few things. First, sitting at our table today is Senator Mercer. Welcome to Senator Mercer. He is here replacing Senator Trenholme Counsell so he has a vote as well, but we all know he is here because he is interested and responsible to a great degree for us having Bill S-214 in front of us. Of course, Senator Cochrane has been interested as well in the subject matter.
I also want to note that Senator Munson, who has been here since we started studying the subject of autism, is now permanently fixed to the committee. He is replacing Senator Carstairs. As you know, Senator Carstairs is heading up a special study on aging. She has asked to be relieved of her duties on this committee and we now have Senator Munson.
With that, we will go to questions.
Senator Mercer: It is a pleasure to be here at the committee, and a particular pleasure to be here to discuss Bill S- 214. I want to thank Senator Cochrane for her support as we have gone through this process. We started off by having a meeting of senators and members of Parliament representing all political parties some time ago, because we knew this bill was something about which there was great interest and we have received tremendous support. I want to thank our friends from Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec, whom I have come to know.
I did not know when we started this process that I would become a client. I had knee surgery in early September and I donated two pints of my own blood in case they needed it during the operation, which I do not think they did. That leads to my question: Mr. Harding, you indicated that this year you needed to collect 880,000 units of whole blood to meet patient needs. Does that amount include blood that people such as me would donate to be banked for their own operation?
Mr. Harding: No, that blood is separate. The 880,000 units are to meet hospital demand for patients. We also run an autologous program as well, where people can donate their own blood in advance of surgeries, and we maintain that system as well. That is in addition.
Senator Mercer: How many units is that approximately, or do you have a number?
Mr. Harding: It has been declining rapidly. It has been reducing at approximately 20 per cent per year. As people have more confidence in the system they do less of that. It depends on their doctor's orders, obviously.
Senator Mercer: The good news is it is because of the confidence that people now have in the system.
Mr. Harding: That is right, and the confidence of doctors especially.
Senator Mercer: I have complete confidence in the system. My doctor told me to do it so I did not know I had the option.
Mr. Harding: Exactly: doctors will drive that decision.
Senator Cochrane: I have two questions of equal importance, so I hope to have both answered. In your brief, Mr. Harding, you spoke about whole blood donations, platelet donations and plasma donations. Can you tell us more about these different donations? How are they used, and are they all the product of the same donation process?
Mr. Harding: Every whole blood donation composes three parts: red cells, platelets and plasma. When we say you can save three lives, each blood donation can be separated and can service three patients, depending on the need. People can donate, through aphaeresis, platelets directly, and we can give them back their blood, so we do not take their blood at the same time. They donate only platelets. People donate plasma, where they give us their plasma and we give back the red cells. It is very advanced technology now in terms of delivering what we need. Plasma is used for patients that require intravenous immune globulin, IVIG: haemophiliacs and different groups that require that blood drug, basically. Pure plasma is often used for treating burn patients as well. A blood donor can have a direct impact on many different causes. It is fascinating.
Senator Cochrane: Give us a sense of the profile of the typical blood donor in Canada. You can also tell us, for the viewers that are watching us here from home, who is eligible to donate? Because I am so young, I am not eligible to donate. What are you looking for in a potential donor, and how can people donate? Who do they need to contact?
Mr. Harding: People can start donating blood at 17 and continue until the age of 71. After 71, they can also continue donating with their doctor's permission, if they have a simple medical. At the age of 17, we find it is somewhat of a rite of passage, where, as people turn 17, it is something they can do to make a tangible difference. We have great success, as Mr. Roch mentioned, with high school and university clinics, and attracting 17- to 24-year-olds. A large portion of our donor base is aged 17 to 24 when they first start.
Senator Cochrane: Emphasis then must be placed on the older population; am I right?
Mr. Harding: The next biggest group is 40 to 60, so the baby boomers are the next largest group. Because of their time commitment and also their longevity with the program, they give more often. Donor frequency at the older ages, such as 40 and as you move on, is two to three times, on average, whereas for someone 17 to 24, the average is about one donation per year. That is the trend. In terms of how to call, call 1-88-to-donate, or blood.ca.
[Translation]
Mr. Roch: Our number is 1-800-SANG. We also have an Internet site at www.hema-quebec.qc.ca.
[English]
Senator Keon: I am totally supportive of the legislation and had been a heavy user of blood in my past career. I felt the patient donation that Senator Mercer talked about was a useful gimmick and encouraged patients to do this, because if they donated only three units of blood, they usually did not need the blood, so it was banked. I guess it is expensive by the time they screen it and so forth. Why is that declining?
Mr. Roch: I want to clarify one thing: it is not banked. That is the big thing. It can only be used for the patient who gave it. That is why it is declining, because unfortunately, less than 50 per cent of the blood through autologous donation is used, so it is a loss to the system. For instance, Senator Mercer's blood, which would have been excellent for other people, needed to be destroyed because it was given autologously, only for him, and cannot be used for anybody else.
Senator Keon: Can he sign a consent to let it go to the main blood bank?
Mr. Roch: No: When he gives it autologously, it is collected from him and kept for him only. He can give it to the general population, but he cannot be guaranteed that it will come back to him. The difference is that he did not respect the 56 days between donations because if he gave two donations for the surgery, the donations must be made within 56 days, so there is a slight difference.
Senator Fairbairn: I was particularly pleased that you noted in your remarks that you are working on an interest for young people in donating blood, which was my question. As an example, in my home town of Lethbridge, Alberta, we had an urgency for blood donations this summer around our rodeo season. A young fellow from the Blood Reserve near Lethbridge who was a member of our military regiment in our community, was also their mascot and dressed as a large bear through our rodeo period. He noticed a sign saying that blood was needed and quickly. He went in, suit and all, and actually made their day, I think. He told me afterwards that it was his third donation within the acceptable time period.
I am wondering how vigorous your campaigns are, say in the community colleges or the universities. I do not know about the high schools. I think there is a terrific interest in participation in that group or at that level. This young man was in fit form, and he was keen to go back again and again because he was told it was very much needed.
Mr. Harding: That is a great story. In terms of barriers to donation, convenience is often the biggest reason. Awareness is also important. People need to know about donating, that it is the right thing to do and that it is an important thing to do in their community. For that reason, we are tying to make it as convenient as possible for young people to donate by going to high schools, universities and community colleges as well. We try to go back three or four times a year, depending on the school year, so someone can start donating in September, get in the habit, and, through the school year, provide them with other opportunities to give donations. We try to make it as easy as possible.
Senator Fairbairn: Do you have people go in from the community, people who would be recognized, to talk to them about it and why it is a good thing?
Mr. Harding: It differs by community, but we are trying to bring more recipients to the blood donor clinics to tell their story. We can do all the advertising we want, but it is also important to bring that recipient's story to life and often have recipients in blood donor clinics where the donors can see the benefits of their actions directly in front of them. That presence really rings true. Having local community recipients talking about the benefit is important.
Senator Fairbairn: We received mileage from of our young officer, I will tell you that.
Mr. Roch: If I may tell you a story, in Quebec, we have a blood volunteer association separate from Héma-Québec, and that is what they do. They go through all the schools, universities and CEGEPs, and promote blood donation. The week before we do a drive, they meet with the students at lunchtime, distribute pamphlets and get them into the system. We also have younger kids 10 or 12 years old, sixth graders, organizing blood drives. They do the whole organization, and these drives are huge. You have 500 or 600 people in those blood drives. They organize the whole thing themselves. We have 10 schools like that.
Senator Fairbairn: That is terrific.
Senator Callbeck: Thank you both for coming this morning. I want to congratulate Senator Mercer and Senator Cochrane for bringing forth this legislation. I have already spoken in the Senate in support of the bill.
I have a couple of questions. You say that roughly 4 per cent of Canadians who are eligible to give blood actually do so. Do you have any figures as to what that percentage would have been 10 years ago?
Mr. Harding: In terms of the percentage, based on our research and statistics, we think we have taken it from 2.9 per cent to about 3.4 per cent or 3.5 per cent in Canada. It is a little more, I believe, for Héma-Québec.
Mr. Roch: We do not do as well as you in that field. We are still around 3 per cent. We went up and down. We went up in 2000 and then down. It is always around 3 per cent. The problem is, more people are restricted from giving blood, for instance, people who live in the U.K. or places in Europe, and people who travel in different regions. A lot of people are traveling more. We exclude more people. That is one reason it is more difficult to increase that number. It is not that easy to compare to 10 years ago, when fewer restrictions were in the system.
Senator Cochrane: Other countries that have this blood donor week, judging from the results that they have had, what increase do you anticipate in Canada, let us say over the next five or ten years?
Mr. Harding: We think this National Blood Donor Week bill will help us achieve our target of 80,000 new blood donors per year. Our goal is to bring the right donors on board, so donors who are in it for life. We are getting away from the percentage that donate blood, to focus on the numbers that start giving now, this year, and continue for the next 50 years. That is the benefit we can see. If this can help us achieve that 80,000 new donors figure, of the right donor, which is the important aspect in terms of people from different ethnic minorities, if we can touch those communities with this national bill that will really help us.
[Translation]
Senator Pépin: Most of the questions I wanted to ask have already been addressed. You also spoke about donors from ethnic communities. Do we need a different approach to reach these people? Is it because of their culture that they are not aware? What is different about the approach?
Mr. Roch: It varies from one culture to another. Muslims have certain specific requirements. Men and not women must take the blood from men. Black people are generally reluctant. In Montreal, we have two groups: Haitians and Jamaicans. There is a great deal of difficulty here. We need to intervene with people in the community. The problem with such communities is that the blood phenotypes are different in some communities and that creates problems for those of mixed race. When these people need blood, we have trouble, even with a reserve of several thousand blood bags, in finding the right blood for these people, and they need to be made more aware.
[English]
Senator Cordy: I want to join with others in congratulating Senator Mercer and Senator Cochrane in bringing this bill forward. I wonder why it has not happened a long time ago.
If this bill passes, will it allow you to focus your marketing and resources to communicate the message so that the number of 3 per cent to 4 per cent can rise considerably?
Mr. Roch: We need to keep hitting just about any field that we can hit because, unfortunately, it is not something that receives high profile. It receives high profile when it is negative. Fortunately, in the last seven or eight years in Canada, it has been a positive story. It is hard to have a positive story out there. Whatever we can have is important.
By the way, to our knowledge Canada is the first country in the world to have a week dedicated to the blood donor. That is a first, if we can get the bill through. Other countries have a blood donor day, but we would be the first country to have a week, to have a bill that would do such a thing. Every year this will allow us to hit on that bill again and use that for the people.
It is important. Senator Cochrane asked before about the utilization of platelets. You might be interested to know that when a patient receives cancer treatment the reason they can recover much better nowadays is because of the platelets. We can actually drain a patient's system to almost nil and give them platelets. Because of that we can save so many cancer patients. That is why blood donation is key. It only lasts five days. What drives the whole system in the whole world right now is getting those platelets to be able to serve those cancer patients.
Senator Cordy: Getting back to Senator Mercer donating his own blood, it seems to me that it is a waste that, if people have donated blood, it is then disposed of when we are desperately in need of blood. Why can this blood not be used? Is there a law that we as parliamentarians should look at changing?
Mr. Roch: There are regulations in blood donation that are different for autologous donors rather than for the general population. For instance, an autologous donor would give it on a weekly basis for four weeks. If the donation is for the general population, it is every 56 days. Because it will be given back to the donor, the donation is allowed to be given on a weekly basis.
The medical population must understand the safety of the blood system in 2006, and that an autologous donation is not required any more. In 2006, there is no valid medical reason to have an autologous donation.
Senator Cordy: While they are in the hospital they could donate to the general cause.
[Translation]
Senator Champagne: I, too, spoke in favour of this bill in June on second reading. I hope that this time, we will finally be able to make it a reality before our colleagues on the other side of the House force us into an election. I hope that this time, the bill will be passed once and for all.
I am very much aware of the importance of the subject under discussion. Some people in my family needed blood. My daughter lives in the Toronto area and is one of those people who is called upon occasionally because of her blood type. Every now and then, she is called and told that there is an urgent need for O negative at such and such a hospital, and she hops into her car and goes to that hospital.
Could you tell us how often a person can give blood without causing any problems?
Mr. Roch: The minimum period is 56 days, and not 55 days, for a whole blood donation. This is the time limit for both organizations and in Canada.
Senator Champagne: I will make sure I remind her when I see her at Christmas. You spoke earlier about people you refuse because they have been in parts of the world where there is malaria, for example. For people who are preparing to donate blood, are there times when they ought not to do so? Are there moments when they should really say: ``I would like to, but I have a cold so I will not donate blood?''
Mr. Roch: It is true that health should be normal. If a person has a fever, that person will be refused for their own good and not because of the blood donation as such. What makes life difficult for blood banks is that safety is such a high priority that good donors are sacrificed as part of the process. Our very raison d'être is for blood recipients. We want to make sure that recipients get the best possible products and we make life difficult for donors by doing so, but we never forget. The two organizations exist as a result of the Krever commission, and we make sure that the safest possible products are made available.
Senator Champagne: The Christmas period is one during which needs are enormous. We would like to take this opportunity to remind people to be careful, so that they do not need blood. And we encourage people who can give blood to do so, keeping in mind that their gift is sure to be useful, unfortunately, in the coming days.
Mr. Roch: You are absolutely correct.
Senator Pépin: You cannot accept donors who take certain types of medications.
Mr. Roch: Indeed, this limitation is placed on certain donors. It is useful to be informed about this. The list of these prescription drugs is posted on our Internet site. Our questionnaire has two categories, one about the donor and the donor's state of health. Most of our questions are related to the quality of the product for the recipient.
[English]
Senator Keon: I want to add a word of caution. I think blood transfusions should not be advertised as completely safe. I witnessed five patients dying slowly of a disease that we did not know existed, and it will happen again. While every possible precaution is taken, I think we should not put out the message that every blood transfusion is safe because they are not safe.
I totally support this legislation and I think we should do everything we can to increase the number of donors.
Mr. Roch: My comment before was not that it is totally safe but homologous and autologous donations are equally safe, and that has been proven scientifically. However, transfusions are still a risk. I agree with you, there is no question.
Senator Keon: No, I challenge you; it has not been proven scientifically.
Mr. Roch: Are you referring to autologous and homologous donations?
Senator Keon: Yes, the same risks for some reactions and so forth: the proteins need to be equal. However, autologous blood does not carry the potential surprises. I think that should be made clear to the public.
Mr. Harding: In terms of safety, we do everything in our power to look ahead in terms of emerging pathogens and creating every new test possible that will make the blood system as safe as possible.
Senator Keon: Obviously, and you are doing a wonderful job.
Mr. Harding: In terms of this bill, it is important to recognize in terms of donors that it is completely safe. In terms of making the donation, there is no risk to the safety of the donor at that point. Your point is valid, however, in terms of blood donors: donor safety is a paramount of importance.
The Chairman: That point is important to clarify.
Senator Munson: First, there is a fear factor to consider in your promotion. There is the simple idea of walking into a blood donor clinic and the idea of someone sticking something in your arm. Do people still have that worry, that they do not want to do that because they are afraid of it?
Can you give us an idea, if this bill becomes law, what you will do to address issues specifically in a public way?
Mr. Harding: In terms of donor fear, a program we have launched is, ``What is your type.'' It is a way for Canadians to become involved in the blood system and learn about the blood system. It involves a simple prick to help identify what your blood type is. From that point on, you learn about the blood system. We start the education process that, in fact, it does not hurt that much, and we start to educate people that it is not as scary as some people think. It is more of an educational process.
In terms of your second question, National Blood Donor Week will allow us to focus around the week of June 14 events with media, press conferences from Ottawa preferably and also right across the country in terms of raising awareness with our media partners. It is a great chance to launch our summer promotion. We are looking at using this week to launch our next summer campaign to encourage Canadians to give blood before going on their summer holiday, as Mr. Roch mentioned. This time window is perfect for us in terms of giving us a platform to introduce many campaigns that can raise awareness and educate people about how safe the system is and how easy it is to give.
The Chairman: I have been a blood donor off and on my entire adult life — off, depending on health or prescription drugs at the time. In fact, when I was Mayor of Toronto I used to hold an annual blood donor clinic on Boxing Day. I would arrive there with a whole lot of cameras that were focused on me, hoping that I would faint. I learned to smile because I never wanted to give them the satisfaction of seeing me wince or faint.
In those days it was a much simpler process. We know some of the history that has resulted in a much tighter process, and safety is paramount. I fully understand that. However, it seems that today there are so many forms to read or to fill out. It has become more complicated for the hurly-burly life, perhaps, that a lot of people experience and they are concerned about the amount of time it takes.
How much effect has this new system had on reducing blood donations? Have you been able to streamline it; that is, make it efficient, effective and safe but at the same time streamlined to the point where people will not feel discouraged about the time it takes to give blood?
Mr. Harding: You are correct, it is more stringent and the process in terms of the questionnaire that a donor or a prospective donor would go through is diligent and does take more time. We have taken many steps in terms of improving the process, improving the convenience of the location, and therefore making donation more accessible. We have created a 1-800-to-donate national call number, making it easier for people to book an appointment and we have our staff focus on donor satisfaction. Much like many retail organizations, our employees are driven by donor satisfaction. We try to have donors in and out in the hour time frame, much like it was a while ago: We are trying to commit to in and out in one hour. If we can minimize wait times, that will let us make that a reality as much as we can. Every quarter, we poll donors to measure donor satisfaction. If we see a dip, we respond in terms of making donors as satisfied as possible. Héma-Québec has done a lot of work in this area as well.
Mr. Roch: We have a joint committee where we revise the questions or try to remove some of those questions that are no longer necessary.
The Chairman: Nowadays, the goal is to be in and out in one hour?
Mr. Roch: That is right.
The Chairman: Are there any other questions, senators?
Thank you very much, Mr. Roch and Mr. Harding.
Are honourable senators ready for clause-by-clause consideration?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: You have in front of you Bill S-214. I will go through the normal procedures.
Shall the title, preamble and clause 1 stand postponed?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clause 2 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall clause 1 carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall the preamble carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Shall the title carry?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Is it agreed that this bill be adopted without amendment?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Is it agreed that I report this bill adopted without any amendment or observations at the next sitting of the Senate?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chairman: Carried. It is done. Thank you very much.
The committee continued in camera.