Manitoba health advocacy group calls for inquest into deaths of paid plasma donors

A Manitoba health advocacy group is calling for a provincial inquest into the deaths of two people after they made donations at paid plasma collection centres in Winnipeg.

The Manitoba Health Coalition wants more than just a Health Canada investigation into the deaths, which were reported as fatal adverse reactions in October of last year and Jan. 30, 2026.  

"Let's have a more fulsome investigation of how these deaths happened," said Noah Schulz, the provincial director of the non-profit organization.

Rodiyat Alabede, 22, died on Oct. 25 after friends say she gave plasma at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue. Little is known about the second person, whose death was reported as a fatal reaction following a donation at Grifol's Innovation Drive location.

The coalition, along with the Ontario Health Coalition, will hold a news conference Friday morning to officially call for the inquest and encourage the province to ban paying for plasma in Manitoba. 

Health Canada, which is still reviewing the deaths, says no link has been found between the deaths and plasma collection.

Plasma donors receive honorarium payments of up to $100 per donation, according to the Grifols website. They offer larger payments based on the frequency of donations, including a $50 bonus for every 10 donations made within six weeks. 

The Spanish-based company, which specializes in producing plasma medicines, has more than a dozen collection centres in Canada. 

The company says it has "no reason to believe" the deaths are connected to plasma collection.

Manitoba's chief medical examiner can call an inquest if he feels people will benefit from the information being made public. They are typically held before a provincial court judge to examine the facts surrounding the cause and manner of death.

They are not meant to find blame for the death, but after it is complete the judge makes recommendations to prevent similar deaths from happening. 

The chief medical examiner's office did not return a request for comment asking whether they would call an inquest.

Schulz says holding an independent judicial inquest in Manitoba is important because it would be more impartial than a Health Canada investigation.

As the federal regulator, Health Canada is responsible for regulating, licensing and inspecting all Grifols plasma collection centres.