The death of an international student Rodiyat Alabede, 22, from Nigeria and another unidentified person both of whom donated plasma at different Grifols locations in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada has sparked outrage.
Alabede was at the Taylor Avenue location on October 25 when she fainted during the donation process.
Her heart was reported to have stopped beating and she was rushed to the hospital but died on the way, sources said.
Their death has prompted health authorities to take another look at plasma donation in Manitoba, which is usually for cash.
“I would say that public safety is our top priority, and so the option of banning paid plasma in Manitoba is an option that is on the table”, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said Wednesday.
The deaths are under review by Health Canada, and a spokesperson said they have not found a link between the deaths and plasma collection. Grifols, who operates the Winnipeg centres, said it has no reason to believe they are connected.
The other patient died following a donation on January 30. Both were donating plasma, a yellow liquid found in the blood that is necessary for a number of bodily functions.
Alabede’s friend, Mary Ann Chika, was the one who identified her at the hospital. She told CBC that Alabede’s family have not been given an answer to what caused her death.
‘We’re all in the dark. It would give us a lot of closure to know what actually happened,’ she told CBC.
The untimely deaths were reported to Health Canada within 72 hours as required by law.
At a separate Grifols location in January, another person died after giving plasma
The health agency is still reviewing the deaths, but said there is ‘no reason to believe’ the incidents are related to donating plasma, CBC reported.
Grifols have insisted that ‘based on the information available at this time, we have no reason to believe that there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation.’
The Spanish-based company offers up to $100 CAD (Canadian dollar) per donation, which can be given up to two times in a seven-day period, its website said.
It also offers a $50 CAD bonus for every tenth donation made in a six-week period.
The smallest amount paid for a plasma donation is $10 CAD for any donation weighing in under 180 milliliters.
To be eligible to donate, the company requires one to be between the ages of 17 and 68, weigh between 110 and 397 pounds, and have a permanent address within a 62-mile radius of the plasma center, among other things.
A GoFundMe had been launched by friends of Alabede.
