Ordering human tissues

Héma-Québec has been a supplier of human tissues for transplants for over 20 years. In that capacity, it has been managing the only human tissues bank in Quebec since 2001 and is responsible for collecting, processing, qualifying, and distributing human tissues in order to meet the needs of Quebec’s hospitals.

Mandate as sole distributor of human tissues

In 2021, Québec’s Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) granted HémaQuébec exclusive rights to process and distribute human tissue to the province’s health institutions. This decision was based on a recommendation of Québec’s biovigilance committee.  

Since December 2024, Héma-Québec has been meeting all the human tissue needs of the province's hospitals.

The change is part of the reforms implemented by the MSSS to improve Quebecers’ access to a safe, resilient, agile and efficient health care system. MSSS made a decision to establish a network of partners that are able and willing to contribute to positive changes, put in place for and by Quebecers.    

To fulfill this mandate, Héma-Québec formed a group of expert consultants to assess the specific needs of the healthcare network and identify the products to be preferred. Their comments enabled us to carry out a broad inventory of human tissues used in Québec hospitals, to ensure that we covered all the province's needs.

Suppliers were selected on the basis of supply agreements that complied with our procurement policy. Our quality assurance team audits and qualifies selected suppliers to ensure that their quality systems are compliant and robust.

This change is part of the reform that the MSSS is implementing to facilitate access to a safe, resilient, agile and efficient healthcare network. The Ministry has chosen to surround itself with stakeholders who are able and willing to contribute to positive change, implemented for and by Quebecers.  

This centralization process will simplify supply management in order to better meet hospitals’ needs, enhance patient safety and improve traceability for human tissue and how it is used.  

Héma-Québec is proud to be tasked with this important mandate, which solidifies the organization’s role as a strategic partner of Québec’s health care and social services system and places it on the front line of public health.