Plasma fractionation centre in Pune?

This will come as a relief to people who suffer from disorders like hemophilia and kidney diseases. The State government is planning to set up a plasma fractionation centre in Pune. The centre will allow blood plasma to be split into life saving components.

The other facility in the public sector in the state —the National Plasma Fractionation Centre in KEM hospital is being refurbished and upgraded. A senior official said that as there was only one such fractionation centre in the private sector, plasma has to be sent abroad at times for contract fractionation.

“We are studying the feasibility of the centre to be set up in Pune,” he said.

Once operational, the centre, which is likely to have a capacity to process 50,000 litres of plasma, will produce components like albumin, factor VIII and factor IX in a phased manner. A senior doctor said there was a need for more fractionation capacity in the public sector, and that the blood products produced would help provide treatment to people suffering from hemophilia and coagulation disorders, and immune deficiency.

According to the State Blood Transfusion Council, Maharashtra has 291 licensed blood banks of which 78 are controlled by the government and municipal bodies, 184 by trusts, 12 by the Red Cross and 17 are private entities. Of these, 202 blood banks have the facility to prepare blood components like packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma (FFP), platelets and cryoprecipitate. In 2011, these blood centres produced around one lakh litres of plasma and usually around 30% to 40% of plasma is used and the rest is stored for one to four years.

Single donor platelet (SDP) donation through apheresis happens in only five hospitals across Mumbai.

Tata Memorial Hospital at Parel

KEM Hospital at Parel.

Jaslok Hospital at Peddar Road

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri

PD Hinduja Hospital at Mahim