Kzenon / Depositphotos.com
CALGARY— Health Canada says two people died after donating blood plasma at paid collection centres in Winnipeg, prompting renewed calls from a health advocacy group for stronger oversight and possible shutdowns of for-profit plasma clinics.
Health Canada confirmed to CBC News the deaths occurred at centres operated by Grifols in October 2025 and January 2026.
The incidents follow a lawsuit filed by a Winnipeg man who alleges a mechanical failure at a Grifols-owned Canadian Plasma Resources clinic caused serious kidney injury during a plasma donation procedure.
Friends of Medicare, an Alberta-based health advocacy group, said the reports raise serious safety concerns about paid plasma collection in Canada.
“These incidents are deeply disturbing and alarming,” said Chris Gallaway, the group’s executive director. “We need robust investigations from Health Canada along with fulsome regulatory enforcement.”
Gallaway said facilities should be shut down if they cannot guarantee compliance with safety regulations.
Health Canada inspection records show a Grifols plasma collection centre in Calgary received a non-compliant rating following a December 2025 inspection. Such ratings indicate inspectors found activities that did not meet requirements under the Food and Drugs Act and federal blood regulations, requiring corrective action.
Inspection findings listed several issues, including failures to properly assess donor suitability, collect blood products according to authorization and fully investigate errors or accidents.
Inspectors also cited insufficient corrective measures and concerns related to validation, calibration, cleaning or maintenance of critical equipment.
Other Grifols facilities have also received non-compliant ratings, including a site in Regina earlier this year.
Friends of Medicare has long opposed paid plasma collection, arguing financial incentives for donors could undermine Canada’s voluntary blood donation system.
Alberta previously banned paid plasma collection, but the United Conservative government repealed the legislation in 2020.
In 2022, Canadian Blood Services signed a 15-year agreement with Grifols to expand plasma collection capacity in Canada through privately operated facilities.
Gallaway said the deaths and inspection findings highlight what he called risks associated with privatizing plasma collection.
“Our governments need to step in to ensure safety and ultimately bring these collection services back under our public Canadian Blood Services umbrella,” he said.
Comments