HÉMA-QUÉBEC's Montréal facility passes annual inspection

Montréal, April 7, 2003 - Héma-Québec has once again passed its annual inspection. Consequently, inspectors from the Blood Establishment Regulation Division (BERD) - a branch of Health Canada - maintained Héma-Québec's operating licence following the yearly procedural audit, which took place at the Montréal facility between March 10 and 14, 2003.

Throughout the audit of the Montréal facility, the BERD inspectors noted that the safety of blood components is a priority for all Héma-Québec personnel. Health Canada inspects Héma-Québec each year to ensure compliance with safety measures and with the requirements stipulated in its operating licence.

"Maintaining the licence ensures that Héma-Québec complies with the safety measures required by Health Canada and demonstrates that the population and hospital patients have reason to trust our enterprise and our personnel," explains Dr. Francine Décary, Executive Director of Héma-Québec.

The inspectors made only a few minor observations concerning product safety. Corrective measures have already been, or soon will be, implemented. These observations deal primarily with improving compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices.

Bear in mind that, each year, Héma-Québec holds more than 2,500 blood clinics throughout the province and supplies units of blood components required by hospitals to treat patients. To meet the needs of hospitals, Héma-Québec holds counts on more than 285,000 donors and relies on the help of more than 25,000 volunteers.

Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, top-quality blood components and substitutes to meet the needs of all Quebeckers; provide and develop expertise, services, along with specialized and innovative products in the fields of transfusion medecine and human tissue transplantation.

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To obtain the list of observations made by the Blood Establishment Regulation Division and Héma-Québec's response, please click here.