Donating plasma for good reasons

It was the baby’s picture that got to me. Featured in an ad seeking plasma donors, I looked at the infant and the accompanying message that I could help save lives. A few days later I was at the donation centre on the University of Manitoba campus.

That was 15 years ago. Almost weekly since then, I have returned to sit for an hour or so while blood is pumped out of me, plasma is extracted, and then the blood is pumped back in.

Grifols, the Spanish company that operates the U of M clinic as well as donation centres across Canada, paused collections on Aug. 14 as it deals with questions surrounding the deaths of two people following donations at Winnipeg locations.

Health Canada said the deaths were not linked to plasma donations, but raised concerns about alarm monitoring and other procedures and issued a non-compliance order for a clinic on Taylor Avenue.

The incidents have fed debate about paying donors for plasma and having a private, for-profit company operate the plasma collection system in Canada.

In my experience, the paid, for-profit system works well and safely and effectively collects plasma to help save that baby’s life and the lives of many others.

The system of paid plasma collection has been operating in Winnipeg for more than half a century. It was developed thanks to pioneering work at the U of M that led to treatment for Rh incompatibility.

There is lots of science behind it, but, basically, problems can develop when an Rh-negative mother has an Rh-positive fetus, up to serious and fatal ailments for newborns. Plasma is used to make Anti-D immune globulin, administered during pregnancy to save the lives of millions of babies over the years. The product is called WinRho, and the “Win” stands for Winnipeg.

Paid plasma collection started at a downtown centre and donors were compensated because the program required people with specific anti-Rh antibodies.

Since then, the collection centre has moved to the Smart Park at the U of M and has changed ownership a number of times, most recently being acquired by Grifols.

Plasma is collected not just for Anti-D immune globulin, but for a number of other uses. Hundreds of people like me donate regularly at the Smart Park location.

I can’t speak for every collection centre operated by Grifols, but I have never felt unsafe during hundreds and hundreds of donations.

To start with, donors face a high level of scrutiny on every visit. Each time I am weighed and have vital signs such as blood pressure taken. My blood is tested for protein and iron levels. My arms are checked for track marks in case I’m using illegal drugs. I’m asked a long list of questions, including whether I’ve been in jail or paid for sex. I have to review a poster outlining the risks of donating and I have to go over a list of drugs donors can’t take and assure staff I have not taken any. More extensive blood testing takes place regularly and donors undergo more comprehensive medical checks annually.

Staff are always well-trained and responsive. They monitor donors closely, respond to alarms quickly and catch problems right away.

If they’re having trouble with a needle or finding a blood vessel, they’ll call over a more senior person to look after the situation.

The centre can be quite busy, with a couple of dozen people donating at a time, but it has always been well staffed when I have been there.

Donors are paid. Amounts differ depending on the type of donation and frequency. I have undergone treatment to develop antibodies so that I am an Anti-D donor. I get $80 for my first donation of the week and $90 if I come a second time. You can donate plasma as often as twice a week. There are further incentives, such as a $50 bonus if you donate six or more times per month. The amount of plasma collected depends on a donor’s weight. I give 825 ml per visit.

The paid aspect usually attracts the most attention and criticism, with the suggestion that donating for profit somehow introduces risks that would not be present in an uncompensated system — the possibility of dangerous and unsafe practices.

I use the money for charitable donations. Some donors clearly need the cash, but I’ve never seen standards dropped.

The payments, even in my case, ensure a steady flow of plasma, which is still in short supply. I have taken breaks for health and personal reasons, but I always come back, in part enticed by the fact that I can earn some more to donate to good causes.

That baby’s picture is still strong in my memory, but I can’t say I have kept up many other activities in my life regularly for 15 years or would still be a plasma donor without the incentive.

Bob Cox is a former publisher of the Free Press. He has been a plasma donor since 2011.