But in the case of hepatitis C, the victims have needs that go beyond medical care. And in the case of hepatitis C victims who contracted the disease from tainted blood, they suffer this illness through no fault of their own, because Canada s blood system failed them. Let me talk for a moment about what hepatitis C means and the impact that it has on its victims. This is a devastating, debilitating disease. Many victims have needs that extend beyond health care.
Many victims are no longer able to earn a living.
Some can t even perform basic work around the house, such as cutting the grass or shovelling snow. Yet even if they re too disabled to work, they still need to pay the mortgage. Even if they re too sick to provide for their families, they still need to put food on the table. That s where financial assistance comes in. That s why we see financial assistance as a moral imperative.