Canada faces calls for investigation into death of woman after plasma donation

Patient advocates in Canada have called for a new investigation into the death of a young woman who was donating blood plasma, describing a “perfect storm” of lax safety protocols and poorly trained staff and warning of “systemic issues” at plasma donation sites across the country. Rodiyat Alabede, an international student at the University of Winnipeg, died of cardiac arrest shortly after a plasma donation in October 2025 at a facility operated by the Spanish healthcare company Grifols. An initial investigation by Health Canada found no links between the plasma donation and her death. But on Wednesday, campaigners alleged that “significant medical discrepancies” had been uncovered between her autopsy, completed within two days of her death, and the medical summary drafted by Health Canada, dated 27 March. They accused the federal body of “covering up” details of her death. Kat Lanteigne, a safe blood campaigner who represents Alabede’s family, said that Alabede’s autopsy revealed she had a cardiomegaly, or enlarged heart. That condition would have put a “major strain” on her body while she was donating. “We don’t know whether they screened her properly. We don’t know whether they responded to her donation process properly,” said Lanteigne, citing “damning” inspection reports by Health Canada immediately following Alabede’s death. “They had staff taking plasma from donors who did not know how to extract plasma in a safe manner. …