Posted on 03/03/2002 3:12:56 PM PST by adanaC
TV programmes about US blood companies
not to be viewed in public
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Friday, July 07 2000 |
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John Trainor, Senior Counsel for the Haemophilia Society, had made the application for the programmes to be viewed stating that they were "clearly relevant". He said that the Blood Transfusion Services committed an act of "irresponsible madness" when it continued to deal with the US company Travenol without having investigated the allegations after broadcast. Mr Trainor charged that it was "grossly irresponsible" that the Board of the BTS did not reconsider distributing the Travenol concentrated clotting agent. He said that the programmes had brought into the focus the need for Ireland to be self-sufficient in the production of blood supplies and accused the Board of "unforgivable" inactivity. Mr Trainor stated that the Haemophilia Society's ability to participate in the Tribunal would be "greatly hindered" if the programmes were not admitted in evidence. The application for a public viewing was opposed by Senior Counsel for the Tribunal, Mr Finlay. In her ruling, Judge Lindsay stated that she had viewed the programmes and considered the arguments, but decided against a public viewing. However, she ordered that transcripts of the programme be made available and said that the allegations could then be put to any witness. The World in Action programmes, two of which were transmitted as part of a series in 1975, investigated US blood companies, how they screed blood donors who were being paid for donations and the risk of blood products being infected with Hepatitis. |
Haemophiliac probably infected with HIV from clotting agent | Friday, July 14 2000 | |||
Dr Lawlor stated that she believed a clotting agent made by the firm 'Armour' and given to the haemophiliac at St James in Feb 1986 was most likely the source of his infection. She told the Tribunal that the BTS had earlier returned all of its Armour products to the company because Irish made concentrates, which were considered to be safer, were coming on stream. However Armour re-issued the product to St James' hospital and, in the view of Dr Lawlor, it was 'most likely' to have been the source of the HIV infection. Dr Lawlor agreed with John Trainor, Senior Counsel for the Irish Haemophilia Society that the destruction of 20 years of BTS dispatch records had made it more difficult to establish where the Armour batch had gone to. The Tribunal also heard extracts from two World In Action programmes, broadcast in 1975, which made serious allegations about a US blood firm and how it collected plasma to make blood products. The programmes which were entitled 'Blood Money' alleged to show how a division of the Baxter group did not apply its own donor screening procedures and increased the risks of hepatitis. Dr Lawlor stated that the risks of infection were known by the BTS, treating doctors and users but the benefits to haemophiliacs outweighed those considerations. She told the Tribunal that she would have put her own child on concentrates despite the known risks, because of what she termed 'the horror of untreated bleeds'. Dr Lawlor will return to the stand on Monday when she will be cross-examined by another party.
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A FReepathon Cheer
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Let's FReep till we're dead!
Thank you. We now return you to your regular postings.
Probably Budge's old site. Budge, that so? How's the new one with Askel5 coming along?
We are so used to product recalls for the slightest safety reason that we can hardly imagine the irresponsible practices of the blood trade. Yet the truth is, both government and corporate bureaucrats consistently put money before public health. Blood products are costly to make and command a huge mark-up. Therefore, the bad stuff was almost always used instead of being thrown out. In one case I recall, blood known to be contaminated and banned for Canadian use, was simply sold overseas. It spread death and disease through several countries.
Thanks for your efforts on behalf of Freepland.
I'm not sure there is one. The book apparently was remaindered, i.e., sold for pennies on the dollar to be remarketed in discount places. I have a few copies if any of the 'Hounds needs one. Mike Galster and an associate may have a supply. Budge could ask him, if it's of interest.
It's a heckuva good book. We think Galster did better thinking on this than, oh, Ken Starr.
Yes. $20 is original list price. I can do better than that -- for a Bloodhound!
But I still have reason to believe that the main supply of the book was remaindered. Quite a few were printed. I can inquire, if it matters.
I was about 1/2-way through saving hard copies of what's still up when I got a wild hair for the Catholic FReeper get-together in New Orleans. I'll be back on the trail in a fortnight.
I'd probably get banned for writing what I'm thinking so I'll leave it at that for now.
Nothing like the Blood Trail to drive home how profitable are the relationships between Government and the purveyors of death, fear and population control.
Great! I'd love to hear how that went/goes :-)
> I'll be back on the trail in a fortnight.
Thanks much. Budge reports computer problems now anyway, but will also be ready in a bit. Both of you let me know how I can help, and keep me posted. I probably have nearly all the old files on disk somewhere. How -- and when -- to get at them is another matter!
It's the 16th. I'll be sure to let you know how it went.
<vbg>
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