Plasma self-sufficiency strategy - The new Héma-Québec Lévis Donation Centre officially opens its doors

MONTREAL, March 3, 2026 /CNW/ - Héma-Québec is proud to announce that its Lévis donation centre will officially open and welcome its first donors as of March 10. This will be the province's 13th donation centre and the very first on Québec City's south shore. Fully dedicated to plasma donations, the new centre will help advance Québec's objective of achieving greater self-sufficiency in plasma. Immunoglobulins extracted from plasma are essential proteins used to manufacture specialized medications that treat several autoimmune diseases and syndromes, which severely impact the daily lives of thousands of Quebecers.

"The opening of the Lévis donation centre is a concrete step toward achieving our overall objective and bringing plasma donation closer to donors," said Nathalie Fagnan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Héma-Québec. "By establishing a centre at the heart of their community, we are making it easier for donors to get involved and giving this already remarkable mobilization the means to grow even further. In 2025 alone, 4,600 people donated blood in the region."

Lévis: At the heart of blood collection in Chaudière-Appalaches

Located in the heart of the Chaudière-Appalaches region and easily accessible from Highway 20 (exit 325), the centre offers an ideal location for residents of Lévis, Bellechasse, Les Etchemins and surrounding areas, who previously had to travel to Québec City to donate plasma. With a population of over 160,000 and sustained growth, Lévis provides a fertile environment for community engagement, according to Héma-Québec.

"Donors in the region already enthusiastically support Héma-Québec's mission. In 2025, 70 blood drives were organized across the territory, and the community showed up," said Luc Lévesque, Vice-President of Blood Products and Mother's Milk. "Opening a plasma donation centre in Lévis is a way to recognize this dedication and make it even easier for people in the region to help save lives."

A modern, human-scale facility

Located at 95 Président-Kennedy Road, the new donation centre will create approximately 20 jobs in the region. Spanning 5,700 square feet, it will feature 10 donation chairs in a warm, safe and welcoming environment. Héma-Québec aims to collect approximately 15,000 plasma donations annually at this site.

Plasma: At the heart of life-saving treatments

Plasma is the liquid component of blood in which red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are suspended. It is rich in proteins such as immunoglobulins, which are the foundation of many specialized medications essential to the survival and well-being of thousands of people in Québec. Today, about 50 plasma-derived medications are distributed by Héma-Québec, and demand continues to grow. Each year, approximately 500,000 units are shipped to hospitals across the province.

About Héma-Québec

Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently meet the Québec population's needs for blood and other high-quality biological products of human origin. Héma-Québec has more than 1,900 employees, more than 200,000 donors of blood, plasma, stem cells, mothers' milk and human tissue, as well as thousands of volunteers at blood drive sites. Héma-Québec delivers nearly 800,000 human-derived biological products to Québec hospitals every year to meet patients' needs.

*Source: Lévis

SOURCE Héma-Québec

Information: Media : 514-832-0871, [email protected]; Source: Patrice Lavoie, Héma-Québec