Canadian plasma clinic pauses operations after donor deaths, safety probe

On a Wednesday in August, Grifols—a Spanish healthcare company operating Canada's only chain of private plasma donation clinics—informed federal regulators that it was halting collections at all 17 of its locations. The decision came after two donors died following plasma donations and Health Canada issued a formal notice that the company had failed to comply with blood safety regulations. What unfolded over the following days was a portrait of systemic failures at the clinics, where donors had been exposed to inadequate screening, poorly trained staff, and equipment alarms that went unheeded.

The two deaths occurred months apart: one in October 2025, another in January 2026. Both donors were in Manitoba, a province that permits paid plasma collection. The first victim was Rodiyat Alabede, a 22-year-old international student and aspiring social worker, who went into distress while donating plasma at a Winnipeg clinic on October 25th. An autopsy revealed she died of cardiac arrest shortly after the procedure. Health Canada initially stated it found no connection between her death and the donation itself—a conclusion that has since drawn fierce scrutiny from patient advocates and the family's representatives.

Kat Lanteigne, a blood safety campaigner representing Alabede's family, alleged that the clinic's failures were staggering. "They had staff taking plasma from donors who did not know how to extract plasma in a safe manner," she said in May. The advocates pointed to what they described as significant medical discrepancies between Alabede's autopsy, completed two days after her death, and Health Canada's official medical summary released months later in March. Those inconsistencies prompted calls for a new inquest, suggesting the initial investigation may have missed critical details.

Inspection reports obtained by The Guardian from May painted a damning picture of operations across Grifols' clinics. Health Canada found inadequate training for staff, failures in standard operating procedures, poor record-keeping, and a pattern of the company failing to address past issues. Most troubling: staff members did not stop plasma collection when alarms sounded—a basic safety protocol. The company's own reporting to regulators was described as both "incomplete" and "inaccurate." At the Taylor Avenue location in Winnipeg, where at least one death occurred, deficiencies were specifically documented.

Plasma donation differs significantly from blood donation. An apheresis machine draws blood, separates it into components, collects what is needed, and returns the remainder to the donor's body—a process taking roughly 90 minutes compared to ten minutes for a standard blood draw. Plasma itself is essential: a protein-rich liquid that carries blood cells and platelets, prevents excessive bleeding, and is used to manufacture medications for hemophilia, liver disease, and various cancers. The stakes of safety failures in this process are therefore substantial.

Prior to the pause, Grifols had been collecting plasma twice weekly, paying donors up to C$100 per donation. The company's decision to halt operations was framed as "proactive and voluntary," undertaken due to what Grifols called "unfounded attention." The company maintained that the two deaths were unrelated to plasma donation and stated that Canadians could be assured the pause would not affect Canada's blood and plasma supply. Yet the regulatory record tells a different story: one of corners cut, warnings ignored, and vulnerable donors—including international students unfamiliar with Canadian healthcare systems—placed at risk.

The regulatory landscape itself reveals a patchwork approach. While British Columbia and Quebec prohibit paid plasma clinics entirely, Manitoba permits them. This variation means that safety standards and oversight can differ significantly depending on geography. As Health Canada works with Grifols and Canadian Blood Services on remediation, patient advocates are watching closely, demanding accountability and answers about how such systemic failures were allowed to persist at the country's only private plasma collection chain.