During the mid 80s, over 20,000 Canadians got Hep C and HIV from tainted blood tranfusions. The trial was to attempt to held criminally responsible the top officials at the Canadian Red Cross and a US-based company that supplied the Canadian Red Cross with tainted blood.
It's funny how the judicial system works. If you willfully put someone's life in danger, or you kill someone, you'll be held criminally responsible.
Knowingly and willfully endanger the life of 20,000 people... the judge concluded that was not enough to hold criminally responsible.
Human rights? We're talking of deadly diseases, and to this day, still with no cures. The right to ... live? mhhh...
There's another story which hits home, almost literally. A private company that runs senior healthcare housings for the government was caught pants down for the second time... evicting seniors in order to make room... for other seniors that are eligible under a new governmental program (and for the company, cashing extra money from the government, of course).
There are hair raising horror stories, such as a 94-year old blind woman being given... a WRITTEN NOTICE that she has 30 days to vacate the premises (which is illegal. The law requires 6 months). Thankfully she has caring sons and they sound the alarm to the media.
Human rights? Dignity? When you're getting old... I hesitate to complete my phrase...
This is happening in Ahuntsic (north end of Montréal) and this is close to where I live.
But the story screams to me for another reason: The declining health of my dad. At some points in time, we'll have no choice.
My mom is dead set against the idea of moving, and this kind of scandal just re-enforced her opinion that dad should stay at home... at all costs.
And costs... it isn't just in money that it's breaking my back...
-E
Links:
- Canadian Press: Victims cry foul, call acquittal of defendants in tainted-blood trial ludicrous.
- Cyberpresse: Painful turmoils in healthcare housing (In French)
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