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Héma-Québec is a Canadian nonprofit organization that serves as the primary blood authority in the province of Quebec. Its role and mission are nearly identical to that of Canadian Blood Services, though its work is focused exclusively in Quebec. Though it is separate from Canadian Blood Services, the two organizations cooperate and coordinate with one another and together form an integral part of Canada’s health-care system. Both are responsible for ensuring a steady supply of blood, plasma and other blood products for Canadian health-care needs.
Background
Like Canadian Blood Services, Héma-Québec was created in 1998 as a consequence of the Krever Inquiry into the tainted blood scandal of the 1980s. The final report of the Krever Inquiry recommended the creation of new nonprofit, nongovernmental agencies to take over responsibilities for the collection, testing and delivery of blood from volunteers to Canadian health centres and hospitals. The findings of the Krever Inquiry were in line with the findings of the separate Gélineau Committee Report, which investigated tainted blood in Quebec.
Operations and Funding
Héma-Québec is based in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent and has as its primary mission to ensure the efficient and safe supply of blood and other biological products of human origin to the population of Quebec. The organization describes its vision as aiming to become a strategic partner in the Quebec health system. Héma-Québec is not a Quebec government agency but it receives funding from the Quebec government.
Services
Héma-Québec is responsible for recruiting donors, collecting blood, ensuring the quality of blood and other biological products it collects and for their subsequent distribution to hospitals. The organization is responsible for human tissue donation in Quebec but does not handle organ donation, which is the responsibility of Transplant Québec.
Héma-Québec is unique in Canada for maintaining a public bank of mother’s milk. It is also involved in tissue donation, cord blood donation, stem cells and plasma.
