Health Canada has suspended all collection activities at a donation facility in Winnipeg where a patient who donated plasma died last year. In a statement to CTV News, Health Canada confirmed that the Grifols location on Taylor Avenue had its collection activities suspended following an inspection earlier this summer. “Health Canada issued the suspension because Grifols had not effectively implemented some corrective and preventive actions and, overall, it failed to demonstrate that the Taylor Avenue site has implemented an effective quality management system,” a spokesperson said in a statement. Two plasma donors at Grifols clinics in Winnipeg died after donating plasma. One person died in October 2025 after making a donation at the Taylor Avenue location. A second person died following a donation at the Innovation Drive location in January 2026. Health Canada has not linked either death to plasma donation. In March, Grifols said it had no reason to believe there was a correlation between the deaths and plasma donation and the company was conducting its own review of the incidents. This summer, Health Canada performed a compliance inspection at the Taylor Avenue site, and said several conditions required by the site to operate were not satisfied. Grifols voluntarily paused plasma donation collection in August. “Health Canada will continue to work with Grifols as it seeks to resume activities and implement corrective action plans,” the spokesperson said. “Prior to resuming operations, Health Canada will verify Grifols’ compliance with our regulatory requirements and we will not hesitate to take further action if needed.” In a statement, Grifols said it is working with Health Canada on a plan to reopen the facility safely, saying they have been conducting an operational review of their centres, including retraining staff and strengthening their procedures and quality systems. “The company remains firmly committed to the highest standards of quality, donor and patient safety, regulatory compliance, and transparency, with the goal of resuming collection activities once there is full alignment with Health Canada and our partners Canadian Blood Services, and all relevant regulations have been met,” a spokesperson for Grifols said.
