health

Health Canada suspends licence at a Winnipeg plasma collection centre

The regulator cited unresolved quality-management failures after an inspection and a donor's death last year.

The Canadian

Health

September 23, 2026

5 min read

A health professional working in a modern clinical laboratory

Health Canada has suspended the licence of Grifols' plasma collection centre on Taylor Avenue in Winnipeg, effective immediately. The regulator said the company had not adequately corrected problems in its quality-management system.

The action follows a June inspection and the death of a donor last year. CBC News has reported that two people died in the past year after donating plasma at Grifols clinics in Winnipeg, bringing increased attention to oversight of paid plasma collection.

Grifols had already voluntarily paused collection at its other Canadian centres. Health Canada said corrective and preventive measures identified after the inspection had not been effectively implemented at the Taylor Avenue location.

The suspension does not settle the broader debate over private plasma collection. It does, however, place immediate pressure on the company to demonstrate that its procedures, staffing, and quality controls meet federal safety requirements before operations resume.

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