Dr. Roger Perrault Posted on 02/06/2006 2:54:12 PM PST by neverdem
Dr. Roger Perrault
The trial of the doctor at the centre of the tainted blood scandal is set to begin Monday after months of legal wrangling and delays.
Dr. Roger Perrault, former national medical director of the Canadian Red Cross, faces criminal charges for his alleged role in allowing hemophilia patients to receive tainted blood products in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The incident is widely considered to be Canada's worst medical disaster of the last century.
More than 1,000 Canadians were infected with HIV and as many as 20,000 contracted hepatitis C after receiving the blood.
It's not clear how many people have died as a result, but the death toll was 3,000 as of 1997.
Perrault, 68, and other medical officials at the Red Cross and Health Canada have been accused of failing to screen blood products and not stopping people with HIV from donating blood.
Perrault has been charged with four counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and one count of common nuisance endangering the public.
His trial in Toronto could last for several months.
Heart attacks
Lawyers for Perrault tried to convince the court that he wasn't well enough to stand trial. Perrault has had two heart attacks and open heart surgery.
Perrault's lawyer, Edward Greenspan, argued the stress of a trial could place unbearable strain on his client and kill him.
But in August 2005, Justice Mary Lou Benotto rejected the arguments, saying Perrault had failed to show that the court proceeding would likely pose a "real or substantial" risk to his health.
John Plater, president of Hemophilia Ontario, said Perrault's trial will test the accountability of the government and the health-care system.
"It's important that we see what the courts are prepared to do in terms of (acting) when government regulators ... don't do their jobs properly," said Plater, who is a hemophiliac, HIV-positive and has hepatitis C.
"It'll be a reminder to people in the system that that's how important what they do is, and that's the kind of scrutiny they're under."
Apology
Control of the Canadian blood supply was taken away from the Red Cross, and Canadian Blood Services was established in 1998.
In May 2005, the Canadian Red Cross apologized and pleaded guilty to violating the Food and Drug Regulation Act by distributing tainted blood products between 1983 and 1990.
Charges of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and common nuisance were withdrawn in exchange for the guilty plea.
The charity paid a $5,000 fine and agreed to give $1.5 million to the University of Ottawa for a research endowment fund and scholarship for the families of those affected.
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Female and forgetful? It may not be the memory
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All roads lead to the former governor of Arkansas.
Tainted Blood, now I know I have to (clap clap) run away I need to (clap clap) get away...
Hmmmmmm.
I read the whole thing and I didnt see Clinton mentioned once,. Does he own the Canadian Justice Department too?
Maybe he does. Arkansas was the last state to use prisoners for blood. He benefitted in the form of campaign contributions. Clinton twice intervened to keep the program going after it was shut down. This is just amazing.
Related, current FR threads:
Clinton blood scandal exposed in new film.
Scandal of infected US blood revealed in film exposé (Clinton Linked to UK Bad Blood)
My husband had hemophilia...contracted Hep B and C. Thought we were lucky that he didn't get HIV, but his liver was destroyed anyway; received a transplant but then developed Lymphoma from the anti-rejection drugs and died an awful death. I wish for all involved in the tainted blood scandels to be punished, but have come to accept that it isn't going to happen.
PING to the FR bloodhounds!
I am so sorry to hear what happened to your husband.
Thanks. I can never forgive it.
Wasn't there recently a news report that some group(s) were protesting the screening of donated blood (and the questionnaire/interview process) because it might discriminate against gays and other minorities? Some Freeper had to have heard this report!
What is amazing is the fact that he will skate.
I doubt they even mention his name in the trial.
Anybody know how to find Dr. Perrault email address? Remind him there is no honor among thieves? We'd be more than willing to give him a refresher coarse on a few facts.
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DSL ping.
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