{"id":176836,"date":"2026-08-21T10:27:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/176836\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T10:27:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:27:07","slug":"what-we-know-so-far-about-grifolss-plasma-pause-and-health-canadas-safety-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/176836\/","title":{"rendered":"What we know so far about Grifols\u2019s plasma pause and Health Canada\u2019s safety concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The deaths of two people who donated plasma at Grifols centres in the past year, including one person in at this site on Taylor Avenue in Winnipeg, have raised questions about the for-profit plasma collector.Shannon VanRaes\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

After months of growing scrutiny over the deaths of two people who donated plasma, Canada\u2019s largest for-profit plasma collector temporarily halted collection at its centres across the country last week.<\/p>\n

Reporting by The Globe and Mail has shed light on the recurring safety and operations issues Health Canada identified at Grifols over the past year, but questions remain about the circumstances of the deaths. <\/p>\n

The saga has also called attention to the push to expand plasma collection in Canada as demand for plasma-based medications rises<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we know so far about Grifols\u2019s practices and Health Canada\u2019s concerns.<\/p>\n

What is Grifols?<\/p>\n

Grifols is the only major commercial collector of blood plasma in Canada. The pharmaceutical company, based in Spain, has a factory in Montreal and runs 17 private collection sites in six provinces.<\/p>\n

Plasma is a protein-rich fluid found in blood that is collected and processed into medicine. Grifols has operated in partnership with Canadian Blood Services since 2022, when it signed a 15-year deal to expand plasma collection<\/a> to meet the growing need for plasma-based medicines<\/a> such as immunoglobulins. However, unlike at CBS\u2019s own plasma donation centres, Grifols pays its donors. <\/p>\n

What is plasma collection and how does it work?Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Plasma is a protein-rich component of blood that is used to manufacture medicines, including for people with immune deficiencies.Juan Karita\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

Plasma is collected through a process called plasmapheresis. While a donor\u2019s blood is being drawn, a plasmapheresis machine separates the blood into red blood cells and plasma. The red blood cells, mixed with a substance such as saline or a plasma substitute, is returned to the donor\u2019s bloodstream. <\/p>\n

Is paying people for their plasma ethical? I donated to learn more<\/a><\/p>\n

The actual plasma collection takes about one hour, according to Grifols\u2019s website<\/a>, and in total removes up to 18 per cent of your blood volume in a standard donation, according to Canadian Blood Services<\/a>. Because plasma replenishes much more quickly than whole blood, plasma donors may be eligible for collection up to twice a week. <\/p>\n

Why did Grifols pause plasma collection?<\/p>\n

Grifols decided to temporarily halt plasma collection following months of public scrutiny and \u2013 as revealed by the Globe\u2019s reporting \u2013 mounting pressure from Health Canada to address safety issues<\/a>. The company called the choice the result of \u201cunfounded attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe temporary pause will allow Grifols to work with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services on the framework needed to support the continued development of a sustainable and robust plasma collection network in Canada,\u201d the company said in its statement last week.<\/p>\n

Grifols pauses plasma collection at donation centres across the country<\/a><\/p>\n

Grifols said it informed Health Canada of its decision on Aug. 12, the same day the federal agency issued Grifols a formal notice of non-compliance for failing to abide by blood regulations, a senior official with close knowledge of the issue told The Globe<\/a>. Health Canada had sent two letters in July requesting Grifols immediately address regulatory deficiencies, according to the official<\/a>, but the company did not comply.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanadians\u2019 safety must always come first, and we welcome Grifols\u2019s decision to temporarily close its plasma collection sites,\u201d Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell, a spokesperson for Health Minister Marjorie Michel, said in a statement last week. \u201cHealth Canada will continue to work collaboratively with Grifols to ensure these concerns are addressed before any plasma collection sites can be reopened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grifols maintains that donor safety<\/a> and the quality of the plasma collected have \u201cnever been compromised.\u201d The company said it is at the disposal of Health Canada and hopes to resume operations as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

How many deaths and injuries have been reported?Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

22-year-old social-work student Rodiyat Alabede died while donating plasma at a commercial collection centre operated by Grifols in Winnipeg in October, 2025.Courtesy of family<\/p>\n

Two people died after donating plasma at Grifols centres in the past year. Both deaths occurred in Winnipeg, and were not disclosed for months until The Globe and Mail<\/a> and CBC reported them in March, prompting public concerns about the for-profit plasma collector<\/a>.<\/p>\n

University student Rodiyat Alabede, 22, died of a sudden cardiac issue<\/a> in October, 2025. Her heart problems began about 45 minutes into a plasma donation at Grifols\u2019s Taylor Avenue site and an ambulance rushed her to hospital, where she was pronounced dead. In April, Health Canada said it believed there was \u201cno linkage\u201d<\/a> between Alabede\u2019s death and the donation process, but internal documents obtained by her family have raised questions about how the agency reached that conclusion.<\/p>\n

Another plasma donor died in January, 2026, after using a different clinic in the city on Innovation Drive. The details of that incident and the identity of the donor are not public. Another person died at the same clinic in 2018, before it was owned and operated by Grifols.<\/p>\n

Grifols revises reports of serious injuries or death at its centres down<\/a><\/p>\n

Health Canada had previously said there were 25 serious injuries or deaths at commercial collection centres now owned by Grifols since 2018, including the three deaths in Winnipeg. But this week, Grifols revised the total number of serious events to six<\/a> after it said a review of past reports found that most incidents did not meet the definition of a serious adverse reaction \u2013 a hospitalization, persistent disability or incapacity, life-threatening condition or death \u2013 under Health Canada\u2019s blood regulations. <\/p>\n

The federal regulator has accepted the new numbers, which include five incidents in Winnipeg and one in Saskatoon. One of those appears to correspond with a lawsuit<\/a> by a Manitoba man who alleges he suffered an acute kidney injury as a result of donating at the Taylor Avenue location \u2013 the same site where Alabede died \u2013 in 2023. Grifols said in a statement of defence that donors are made aware of risks of the procedure, and the case has not yet been decided in court.<\/p>\n

Who investigated and what did they find?<\/p>\n

Questions remain about the deaths of Alabede and the unnamed second donor who died. <\/p>\n

Grifols, Health Canada<\/a> and Manitoba\u2019s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner have each completed investigations into Alabede\u2019s death, but her family has urged the provincial and federal governments to re-open the probes because of discrepancies in the reports<\/a>. MPs on the House of Common\u2019s public health committee also requested documents from Health Canada in relation to the deaths. Members of the committee also questioned<\/a> Grifols\u2019s vice-president of sales in Canada, Mary Hughes, in March when she testified as part of the committee\u2019s larger study on pharmaceutical sovereignty, an appearance that had been scheduled before the news of the deaths broke.<\/p>\n

Grifols\u2019s internal investigation of Alabede\u2019s death concluded that \u201call procedures were followed appropriately, that equipment was functioning properly and that supplies used were suitable for use,\u201d according to documents obtained by Alabede\u2019s family<\/a> and subsequently shared with The Globe. <\/p>\n

Plasma machine at Grifols collection centre issued five alerts before Winnipeg donor\u2019s death<\/a><\/p>\n

That isn\u2019t consistent with an earlier report by Health Canada inspectors in December that found deficiencies at the Winnipeg collection site, such as staff not terminating Alabede\u2019s donation after the plasmapheresis machine displayed multiple alerts related to blood pressure and blood flow. One of those alerts should have resulted in her donation being terminated, according to the machine\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n

However, in a medical summary sent to MPs, Health Canada said equipment function, staff training and emergency response \u201cwere all found to be compliant\u201d with applicable standard operating procedures, contradicting the letters prepared by Health Canada\u2019s own inspectors. The agency said in July it did not consult the inspectors\u2019 work<\/a> when writing the summary.<\/p>\n

Manitoba\u2019s Chief Medical Examiner initially said an autopsy revealed Alabede had an enlarged heart but said nothing about whether her death was connected to the plasma donation. However, in an amended report in May, the Chief Medical Examiner said Alabede\u2019s body showed no signs that would have indicated she had experienced either or both of two common possible reactions to plasma donation. \u201cWhile a complication from plasma donation cannot entirely be excluded from contributing to death, in this case it is unlikely,\u201d the updated report said.<\/p>\n

What safety concerns has Health Canada raised?<\/p>\n

Over the past year, Health Canada inspections identified several recurring safety and operations concerns at multiple Grifols sites, including the one Alabede visited. As a result, the agency imposed<\/a> limitations on the company\u2019s license in April 2026.<\/p>\n

The concerns, details of which were first revealed by The Globe this spring, include an inadequate ratio of staff to patients, insufficient training and lack of oversight. In some cases, Grifols staff didn\u2019t properly respond to alarms on donation machines<\/a> and some donors were deemed eligible to donate despite carrying disease risk.<\/p>\n

In July, Grifols told The Globe the deficiencies noted by Health Canada inspectors did not meet the company\u2019s standards and it was taking corrective action.<\/p>\n

Is plasma donation still available in Canada?<\/p>\n

Yes, Canadian Blood Services is still accepting plasma donations<\/a>, as is H\u00e9ma-Qu\u00e9bec. CBS and H\u00e9ma-Qu\u00e9bec do not pay for plasma.<\/p>\n

With reports from Chris Hannay and Alanna Smith<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: The deaths of two people who donated plasma at Grifols centres in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":176837,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3128,29948,902,17],"class_list":["post-176836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ac-community","tag-aud-explainer","tag-aud-growth","tag-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}