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Grifols is resuming operations at its Canadian clinics after temporarily shutting down all paid plasma collection in mid-August amid public scrutiny.<\/p>\n
The for-profit plasma donation company said in a news release Tuesday that it’s beginning a phased-in resumption of collection activities at its 17 centres, starting immediately with two locations \u2014 one on Innovation Drive in Winnipeg and the other on Currents Drive\u00a0in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
Those locations will reopen with a reduced number of daily donor appointments, which will progressively increase, the release said.<\/p>\n
The decision to reopen is being done “in alignment with Health Canada,” the release said, and additional locations across the network will gradually reopen as well.<\/p>\n
The plasma collected by Grifols is used to manufacture plasma-derived therapies, which are then administered to patients, Health Canada said. It is not used directly for transfusion into patients.<\/p>\n
Grifols paused operations in Canada on Aug. 14, the same day Health Canada issued a non-compliance rating at its Taylor Avenue clinic in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n
Health Canada said in August that the Taylor Avenue clinic “did not carry out sufficient corrective and preventive actions when required.” It also said some operating procedures were not always followed and that records of “staff qualifications, training or evaluation of their competency” were not always sufficient.<\/p>\n
The licence for the Taylor Avenue site in Winnipeg remains suspended and the\u00a0terms and conditions <\/a>imposed on Grifols’ licence for its 16 other plasma collection sites will remain in place until Health Canada is satisfied that sustained compliance has been demonstrated, Health Canada said in a statement Tuesday that confirmed the two reopenings.<\/p>\n Advocates had been calling on the federal government to crack down on the company after CBC News reported\u00a0two people died, in October 2025 and January 2026, after donating plasma <\/a>at different Grifols clinics in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n Noah Schulz, the Manitoba Health Coalition’s provincial director, said he’s disappointed to learn Grifols has begun its phased reopening across Canada.<\/p>\n “I’m worried about this for my fellow Winnipeggers,” Schulz said.<\/p>\n “I don’t have a lot of confidence in Grifols’, you know, sort of self-assessment of their safety measures. I think that they have a track record of non-compliance that is still a big worry.”<\/p>\n