Thousands of health-care products under the microscope as N.L. examines U.S.-procured items

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 4:33 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services says everything it buys is nether the microscope arsenic it looks for alternatives to U.S. products, but adds it can't travel astatine the outgo of affecting patients.

Tony Williams, the senior manager of proviso concatenation for NLHS, says thousands of items are housed wrong the wellness authority's caller 85,000-sq. ft warehouse successful St. John's — which helium says serves arsenic the backbone of the wellness system.

"We're doing that heavy dive present to say, 'What's nether the covers, what really is manufactured successful the States versus Canadian.' So that's the enactment we're doing now," Williams said successful a caller interview.

"We privation to marque definite that immoderate modulation from a U.S. merchandise to thing else, hopefully Canadian, ... [that] the health-care supplier is OK with that. We privation to marque definite that that achieves those precocious standards."

In March, Health Minister John Haggie said the state is reviewing its procurement of American aesculapian goods.

Williams said that's easier said than done fixed the measurement of products — and however those products are sourced.

For example, the warehouse stores aggregate products from the aforesaid company, but immoderate shipments travel from Canada and others travel from the U.S. arsenic they are sourced by the contractor.

More than 200 expiring contracts with U.S. suppliers are nether review, Williams said. And portion determination are section solutions connected the table, quantity is simply a cardinal facet of immoderate dealing.

"There's a batch of competence present to marque health-care products, [but] we privation to marque definite that they tin besides supply successful the quantities that we request for the wellness system," he said.

"Our fig 1 interest successful each this is diligent care."

However, determination are immoderate American products that can't beryllium avoided, like imaging machines and parts for orthopedic surgeries similar hep and genu replacements.

Christine Donaldson, president of Health Pro Canada, which bulk buys for much than 2,000 wellness facilities crossed Canada, said astir a 3rd of their contracts person ties to the U.S.

That accounts for 38 per cent of aesculapian devices imported into Canada successful 2022, which represents a outgo of $5.2 billion.

"[The] U.S. has been our strongest trading spouse for many, galore years. And to unravel that would, you know, instrumentality a agelong clip to get into each those details," Donaldson said.

"While we decidedly basal with the authorities that ... U.S. tariffs can't spell answered, it is really [something] we are exploring arsenic acold arsenic however overmuch we can, you know, enactment with Canadian partners."

Donaldson said Health Pro Canada is advocating to guarantee the commercialized warfare doesn't summation outgo for those seeking aesculapian attraction oregon unfastened the doorway to proviso concatenation shortages.

Part of that enactment ensures medical instrumentality isn't portion of retaliatory tariffs placed by Canada connected the U.S., she said.

"Canadians' health-care strategy indispensable beryllium protected from those unintended consequences…. Ultimately, the diligent astatine the extremity of that volition suffer."

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