TORONTO - Ontario is taking steps to make it illegal to pay for blood or plasma donations, saying the move would help protect the integrity of the public blood donor system.
The province says it will introduce legislation to ban payments, boost enforcement in case of violations and broaden the requirements for licensing blood collection facilities.
It also proposes to amend two regulations so the payment ban takes effect immediately.
The provincial government has raised concerns about three paid-donor blood clinics being set up in Ontario.
Canadian Plasma Resources lists two clinics in Toronto and one in Hamilton. It says paid donations help meet the demand for plasma to be manufactured into pharmaceutical products.
There is currently no law in Ontario preventing clinics or labs from paying blood or plasma donors, but at least one other province -- Quebec -- has outlawed the practice.
