Home / Health / Plasma clinic ignored donor safety warnings
Plasma clinic ignored donor safety warnings
14 Jul
Summary
- Ineligible donors at risk of dangerous disease were cleared.
- Plasma centers operated dangerously over capacity.
- One center ran without a physician substitute on site.
A Health Canada report has detailed serious safety issues at private plasma clinics operated by Grifols. The inspection found that the clinics cleared donors who were at risk for dangerous diseases, including a rare variant of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease linked to "mad cow disease." These deferrals were incorrectly lifted, raising concerns about the safety of the plasma supply, though Grifols stated no plasma was collected from these specific donors.
Furthermore, the report highlighted instances of Grifols centers operating beyond their capacity. One Winnipeg center saw 119 donors on January 3, 2025, with only one physician substitute available, exceeding the stated capacity of 100 donors per substitute. In another instance, a center assessed donors and performed eligibility checks without any physician substitute present on the premises, a situation that occurred the following day as well.
Blood safety advocates are urging Health Canada to take more decisive action against Grifols, including the potential suspension of licenses or charges, citing past serious adverse reactions reported since 2018. These concerns are amplified by two recent deaths in Winnipeg following plasma donations at Grifols locations in October 2025 and January 2026.
