Health Canada is reviewing the deaths of two paid plasma donors related to Grifols plasma collection centres in Winnipeg. These come after a third donor filed a lawsuit alleging he suffered permanent kidney damage after giving plasma at one of those collection centres. Grifols facilities in Calgary and Regina have recently also failed inspections by Health Canada, including by not accurately assessing donors’ suitability.
CUPE strongly opposes paid plasma collection. It is a dangerous privatization of Canada’s blood system that compromises blood safety, threatens the voluntary donation model and goes against the recommendations of the Krever Commission. In 2022, we raised the alarm when Canadian Blood Services signed a secret plasma privatization deal that contracted out plasma services to Grifols and opened the door to for-profit, plaid plasma collection in Ontario.
Deaths due to plasma extraction are extremely rare, but they may occur because of malfunctioning equipment or inadequate implementation of procedures. Potential donors may not be adequately screened, or staff may not be properly trained. These risks increase when private corporations take over the collection of plasma and cut corners to maximize profits.
Over the last few years, Grifols has rapidly established paid plasma collection centres across the county. This type of for-profit collection increases the risk to blood safety. The promise of payment may motivate people to lie about their medical history, travel or high risk behaviour. And collection centres may prey on people living in poverty, pushing them to sell plasma more frequently. These increased risks and predatory practices make paid donation a deplorable and dangerous policy.
In a move that further endangers the safe supply of blood, the federal government is defunding the Blood Safety Contribution Program (BSCP) as of March 31, 2026. This program was created after the tainted blood disaster of the 1980s, when thousands of patients were exposed to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C through contaminated blood transfusions.
Defunding the BSCP while allowing privatized blood collection will inevitably increase the risks for both donors and recipients of blood and blood products. It might also disrupt the overall supply, and damage public confidence in our system, as well as our international reputation.
CUPE is re-iterating its opposition to paid donation for plasma and all blood products and is calling on the Carney government to strengthen, improve and properly fund the BSCP, rather than closing it.