Health Canada fires whistle-whistle-blowing scientists

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Jul. 14, 2004. 07:00 PM

 

Health Canada fires whistle-whistle-blowing scientists

Three criticized department drug-approval process

 

 

OTTAWA (CP) — Health Canada has fired three scientists

who repeatedly criticized the department's

drug-approval policies, and who claimed they were

being pressured to approve unsafe veterinary drugs.

 

Chiv Chopra, Margaret Haydon and Gerard Lambert,

probably the country's best-known whistle-blowers,

received letters of termination today, said Steve

Hindle, president of the Professional Institute of the

Public Service.

 

Hindle declined to spell out reasons given for the

terminations, indicating these will be the subject of

legal proceedings as the union seeks to have the

scientists rehired.

 

" My first reaction was that this was retribution for

the three of them having been very outspoken about

policy and procedures at Health Canada and processes

that they were not comfortable with, " said Hindle in

an interview.

 

A Health Canada spokesman denied the terminations have

anything to do the scientists' criticism of department

policies.

 

" I can tell you they are no longer employed at Health

Canada and this is not because of anything they may

have said publicly, " said Ryan Baker.

 

He said reasons for the dismissals were contained in

letters sent to the employees, and that these were

confidential. The scientists could not be reached

today.

 

Mike McBane of the Canadian Health Coalition said the

three scientists were being penalized for trying to do

their jobs.

 

" What they've been doing is putting the health of

Canadians before the interests of business, in

particular drug companies, " said McBane.

 

" This is really an ominous signal from the government.

These are Canadian heroes and this is the way the

government is treating them. "

 

But Baker said Health Canada fully supports protection

for whistleblowers.

 

" Health Canada's No. 1 priority is the health of

Canadians and that goal is achieved through a strong

regulatory framework based on the best available

scientific evidence, " said the departmental spokesman.

 

" Health Canada fully supports and abides by the

existing policy that allows for disclosure of alleged

wrongdoing in the workplace. We also support the need

for strong legislation in this regard. "

 

The scientists have been involved in a series of

high-profile skirmishes.

 

In the late 1990s, they publicly opposed rBST, also

known as bovine growth hormone, a Monsanto product

which enhances milk production in cows. Their

criticism led to a Senate inquiry and a decision not

to approve the drug.

 

They criticized carbadox, a drug used to promote

growth in pigs, saying it could produce carcinogenic

residues. They criticized Baytril, used to promote

growth in cows and chickens, saying it could produce

antibiotic resistance in humans.

 

In 2001, Haydon said that a Canadian ban on Brazilian

beef had more to do with politics than public health.

The ban, purportedly to prevent the risk of mad cow

disease, was lifted a few months later.

 

During the anthrax scare, Chopra criticized then

health minister Allan Rock's to spend millions

stockpiling antibiotics, saying the fear was

overblown.

 

Chopra and Haydon warned in 2003, before Canada's

first case of mad cow, that measures to prevent the

disease were inadequate. The called for a total ban on

the use of animals parts in the feed of other animals.