Cabinet has donated a small portion of its COVID-19 pandemic ventilator stockpile to Ukrainian war victims, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“One example of a recent divestment was the donation of ventilators to the Maple Hope Foundation,” said Health Canada in a briefing note. .“This is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that works to provide medical relief in Ukraine.”.Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) spent more than $700 million on COVID-19 era rush orders for ventilators which were never used. .The Maple Hope Foundation said it received 30 battery-run ventilators manufactured by Thornhill Medical, which is based in Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s riding. Thornhill Medical received a sole-sourced $200.5 million contract within days of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. .Almost all of the ventilators were warehoused in Ottawa and never used. .“I am proud of Thornhill Medical in my riding,” said Freeland. .Health Canada records indicated managers did not want the Thornhill ventilators. .“It does not meet technical requirements,” said a Health Canada staff member. .Managers warned of “the cost of the product.”.The value of the 30 ventilators donated to Ukraine was not disclosed. Health Canada declined comment over the allegation the devices were billed at $138,106 each in 2021. .PSPC said in a 2021 submission to the House of Commons Government Operations Committee a total of $720 million was spent on ventilators from three contractors: Thornhill Medical ($200.5 million), Baylis Medical Company in Montreal ($237 million), and CAE Inc. in Montreal ($282.5 million). Baylis is owned by former Liberal MP Frank Baylis (Pierrefonds-Dollard, QC). .CAE received a contract despite its machines failing tests twice. .“Their vents are still severely defected,” said a Prime Minister’s Office aide. .Baylis was contracted, but it had no federal licence to manufacture ventilators and required a cash prepayment to fill the order. Cabinet donated 300 of these ventilators to India, but it forgot a $9 electrical adaptor fit for use in Indian wall plugs. .It placed rush orders for 40,547 ventilators. The Commons Government Operations Committee was told a total 27,025 were delivered within one year, but 500 were used. .Records published in 2022 show millions of dollars worth of ventilators purchased through Baylis were warehoused as medical surplus. .READ MORE: PHAC immediately shelved $237 million in ventilators.The ventilators cost about $23,700 each. Public Health Agency of Canada figures disclosed of the majority of the 10,000 Baylis ventilators it bought, more than 90%, were never used in any clinic or hospital. .They were bought under a sole-sourced $237 million contract through Guelph, ON, holding company FTI Professional Grade Inc.
