Apheresis machine lying defunct at Civil Hospital

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, July 20

In Ludhiana district, 32 cases of dengue have been reported so far, of which 18 are from urban areas and 13 from rural areas. However, the apheresis machine at the Civil Hospital is lying defunct.

The machine separates blood received from donors into its various components such as plasma, platelets and white and red blood cells.

Sometimes, patients need transfusion of platelets as their count drops due to dengue. The apherisis machine, also known as single donor platelet concentrate (SDPC) machine, extract the platelets from blood while other components are transfused again to the donor. It helps extract around 50,000 platelets from the blood. The machine is useful for high-risk patients, whose platelet count decreases considerably.

Dengue test

• Patients can get the test to detect dengue at Civil Hospital, sub-divisional hospital in Khanna, Jagraon, free of cost.
• Health Department has capped the price of dengue confirmatory test. Private hospitals and labs, which have ELISA test facilities, should not charge more than Rs 600 for the test.

It was bought around 10 years ago and had been developing snag time and again for the past many years. Since the past year, it is lying defunct. In 2023, the hospital had asked the department to buy a new machine and this year also, the authorities have sent a request for the replacement of the same.

“One part of the machine has to be replaced and that costs around Rs 13-14 lakh and still no guarantee is being given for it. Amid such a situation, it’s better to buy a new machine, instead of getting it repaired. We are hopeful of getting a new machine this year,” said District Epidemiologist Sheetal Narang.

If the blood bank of the Civil Hospital has enough stock of blood units, random donor platelets can be prepared and given to patients. If the stock is not available, patients are left with no other option but to go to private hospitals and get single donor platelets.

Random donor platelets are prepared from donated blood within four to six hours of collection. Single- donor platelets are obtained from one donor and prepared by an apheresis machine.

Bought 10 years ago

The apheresis machine is useful for high-risk patients, whose platelet count decreases considerably. It was bought around 10 years ago and had been developing snag time and again for the past many years. Since the past year, it is lying defunct. In 2023, the Civil Hospital had asked the department to buy a new machine and this year also, the authorities have sent a request for the replacement of the same. It separates blood received from donors into its various components such as plasma, platelets and white and red blood cells.