Grifols, the Spanish healthcare company operating Canada's only private plasma donation clinic chain, has announced a temporary pause in collections following the deaths of two donors and a new government investigation into potential unsafe practices. The company, which runs 17 clinics across Canada, informed Health Canada of its decision on Wednesday, the same day the agency issued a formal notice of non-compliance for failure to follow blood regulations, according to a senior official speaking to the Globe and Mail.
Deaths and Investigation
The two deaths occurred after plasma donations in October 2025 and January 2026, as Health Canada reported in March of this year. Both donors, who were in the province of Manitoba, went into “distress” during the donation process, according to people familiar with the cases. While Health Canada did not release the donors' identities, friends identified one as Rodiyat Alabede, a 22-year-old international student and aspiring social worker who donated plasma in Winnipeg on 25 October. An autopsy revealed she died of cardiac arrest shortly after donating, though Health Canada reported finding “no link” between her death and the donation.
Patient advocates, including Kat Lanteigne, a safe blood campaigner representing Alabede's family, have raised concerns about screening procedures. “They had staff taking plasma from donors who did not know how to extract plasma in a safe manner,” Lanteigne alleged in May, adding that the failures were “so egregious” that they left more questions than answers. Advocates have called for a new inquest into Alabede's death, citing “significant medical discrepancies” between her autopsy, completed two days after her death, and Health Canada's medical summary published on 27 March.
Regulatory Findings and Company Response
The Guardian reviewed Health Canada inspection reports from May that found deficiencies at Grifols clinics, including inadequate staff training, failures in standard operating procedures, poor record-keeping, and a failure to remedy past issues. The reports also noted that staff did not stop plasma collection when alarms sounded, and described the company's reporting as “incomplete” and “inaccurate”.
Prior to the pause, Grifols allowed donations twice a week and paid donors up to C$100 (£55) per donation. The company has denied any connection between the deaths and plasma donation, stating the pause was “proactive and voluntary” due to “unfounded attention”. Grifols said it would work with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services during the pause.
Impact and Next Steps
On Friday, Health Canada announced it found “various deficiencies” at the Taylor Avenue Grifols location in Winnipeg, and a spokesperson said they were working closely with the company to return to operations. Grifols assured Canadians that the decision would have “no impact on the safety and security of Canada's blood and plasma supply”.
Plasma, a pale yellow protein-rich liquid, is essential for transporting blood cells and creating medications for conditions like haemophilia and liver disease. The donation process, which takes about 90 minutes using an apheresis machine, differs from a standard blood draw of about 10 minutes. In Canada, provinces decide whether paid plasma clinics are permitted; British Columbia and Quebec ban the practice, but Manitoba allows it. The pause marks a significant step in addressing regulatory concerns and ensuring donor safety.
