(March 13, 2026) By: Eddie Huband, CityNews Winnipeg<\/p>\n
The Manitoba and Ontario Health Coalitions came together on Friday, calling to ban paid plasma donations on a provincial level, after two deaths at Grifol\u2019s plasma donation centre in Winnipeg, in the last five months.<\/p>\n
Both groups say monetizing donations prey on more vulnerable populations who donate more frequently due to the financial incentive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an acute problem right now in Manitoba. We\u2019ve had these two suspicious deaths, including an international student at 22 years old, whose reports suggest her heart stopped while giving plasma. This is tragic and very disturbing,\u201d said Noah Schulz, the provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition.<\/p>\n
Sara Labelle, with the Ontario Health Coalition, added, \u201cIf you\u2019re a healthy individual and you donate, it\u2019s not a big of a concern, but we know that the social determinants of health care are an issue, and they are very real for people who are under the poverty line.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Bardwell, who is a plasma donor, doesn\u2019t want to see a ban on paid plasma donations. While he\u2019s aware of the deaths, he said it hasn\u2019t deterred him from continuing to donate, as the couple of hundred dollars per week he receives keeps him afloat to buy food.<\/p>\n
\u201cI choose to donate because I\u2019m actually on income assistance, so it\u2019s actually a [source] of income,\u201d Bardwell explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t scare me off, of course, it raises an alarm bell, but if my family found out, yeah, I would not be allowed to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Health Canada tells CityNews that they are reviewing the situation, and says so far, no link has been made between the two deaths.<\/p>\n
According to Health Canada inspection reviews on their website, two Grifols locations in Regina and Calgary both received non-compliance ratings since last December, citing a series of issues, including maintenance and calibration of equipment, operating procedures not being properly followed, and not carrying out sufficient and preventive actions when required.<\/p>\n
A statement from the companies reads in part: \u201c\u2019Non-compliant\u2019 rating means that the identified operational processes require improvement, and we are working hard to address those swiftly. For the recent inspections in Regina and Calgary, we submitted detailed action plans to Health Canada and began implementation immediately with a focus on preventing recurrence and strengthening overall compliance. Both centers, which had previous compliant inspections, continue normal operations while we implement corrective actions to address the cited concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara would not commit to decisions about the potential for banning paid donations in Manitoba until the Health Canada investigation is complete.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder these particular circumstances, it\u2019s incredibly important that we have a full understanding of what has happened,\u201d said Asagwara.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis particular company and the way these companies operate are licensed at the federal level, but again, we\u2019re going to wait to hear the findings of the investigation and then see what steps we need to take at the provincial level after that\u2019s concluded.\u201d<\/p>\n