Health Canada Suspends Licence for Grifols Plasma Centre in Winnipeg Following Donor Death
Health Canada has immediately suspended the licence of Grifols's Taylor Avenue plasma collection centre in Winnipeg due to failures in corrective actions and quality management. The decision follows the fatal cardiac arrest of donor Rodiyat Alabede in October 2025, amid broader regulatory scrutiny of Grifols's Canadian operations.
Health Canada has suspended the licence for Grifols's Taylor Avenue plasma collection centre in Winnipeg, effective immediately. The regulatory body cited the company’s failure to effectively implement corrective and preventive actions, as well as its inability to demonstrate an effective quality management system.
The suspension comes after a significant safety incident at the site. On Oct. 25, 2025, 22-year-old donor Rodiyat Alabede suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while donating plasma at the Taylor Avenue centre. This tragedy has intensified scrutiny on the paid plasma donation industry in Canada.
Grifols operates 17 centres across Canada that pay donors for plasma, including two locations in Winnipeg. Prior to this specific suspension, the company had already temporarily shut down collection at all its Canadian centres last month. Grifols described that pause as voluntary and proactive.
Regulatory pressure on Grifols has been mounting. Health Canada proposed suspending the company's licence on Aug. 13, providing Grifols with an opportunity to be heard before the final decision was made. Additionally, the federal health department imposed new terms and conditions on Grifols's head office licence in Oakville, Ont., due to recurring systemic deficiencies affecting 16 centres.
In response to the ongoing issues, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara stated that a ban on paid plasma donation remains one option under consideration by the provincial government. Advocates have also called for a nationwide suspension of licences and a police investigation into the deaths associated with these facilities.