Canadian Red Cross pleads guilty to distributing tainted blood
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
June 2, 2005
The Canadian Red Cross has pleaded guilty to distributing tainted blood throughout the 1980s. The organization will pay a $5,000 (Canadian) fine and donate $1.5 million (Canadian) to start a charitable fund, according to a Bloomberg report.About 20,000 Canadians were infected with Hepatitis C and 1,000 with HIV when the Red Cross gave them tainted blood. The Red Cross has apologized for not establishing screens for infected supplies quickly enough to stop the transmissions.
The organization will establish a $750,000 (Canadian) for a scholarship fund, while the other $750,000 (Canadian) will be used to establish a National Medical Error Project.
To read the complete Bloomberg article, click here.
