In the past decade, Health Canada has reported three deaths in Manitoba related to plasma donation. The federal regulator received notifications of two of these fatalities within a four-month span, with one occurring in October 2025 and the other on January 30, 2026. The timing of the third death was not disclosed by Health Canada.
Establishments collecting plasma are required to inform the federal regulator if a donor experiences a severe reaction during donation or within 72 hours after donation. One of the deceased individuals was identified as Rodiyat Alabede, aged 22, who passed away on October 25 at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue. According to friends, she suffered cardiac arrest at the center and could not be resuscitated.
Limited details are available about the second recent fatality in Winnipeg, except that it occurred in January following plasma donation at Grifols’ alternative site on Innovation Drive. Dr. Ryan Zarychanski, a hematologist specializing in blood disorders in Manitoba, emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation into these deaths, considering the rarity of fatalities post-plasma donation.
Zarychanski stressed the need to scrutinize protocols, training, oversight, and donor selection in such circumstances. Grifols, a company based in Spain specializing in plasma medicines, operates numerous plasma collection centers in Canada. Following the recent deaths, the company conducted an internal review, stating no apparent connection between the deaths and plasma donation based on available information.
Health Canada confirmed that the assessment of the two recent deaths is ongoing, with no established link between plasma collection and the fatalities. In response to recent events, Grifols announced a policy change requiring at least a 48-hour gap between consecutive donations starting March 9. Health Canada’s policy since 2019 allowed two donations within a seven-day period with a minimum two-day interval, but instances of collecting plasma twice in under 48 hours were discovered during a recent inspection.
Health Canada clarified to Grifols that the two-day interval should be a minimum of 48 hours, prompting Grifols to update this information on its website. The specific location of the inspection was not disclosed by Health Canada.