A blood component separator machine in Patna. Picture by Ashok Sinha

The Purnea branch of Indian Red Cross Society would soon have a blood component separator machine.

Scheduled to start operations before January 2014, this would be the sixth machine in the state after one each at Patna Medical College and Hospital, Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Jai Prabha Blood Bank, Kurji Holy Family Hospital and the Patna branch of Indian Red Cross Society of India. The machine is being brought from Germany and costs around Rs 25 lakh.

S.P. Singh, director, state branch of Indian Red Cross Society, said: “The machine would be completely installed before January 2014.”

“The separation of the different components of blood has to be done in an isolated space because there is a risk of infection involved,” added Singh.

A blood component separator is a machine used to separate various constituents of blood like red blood corpuscles, platelets, plasma and others. The machine helps in increasing the utility of blood.

“At present, the blood banks in the state are not able to fully utilise the blood. One unit of blood could be provided to three or four patients instead of only one. The utility is increased three or four times,” added Singh.

Dr B.P. Sinha, director, Red Cross Blood Bank, said: “Different patients need different components of blood. Red blood corpuscles are required for people suffering from anaemia, while platelets are required for dengue and cancer patients. Plasma is required for burn cases and cryoprecipitate is required for people suffering from haemophilia. One unit of blood can be used for four patients. The blood banks in Bihar, which don’t have blood component separator machine, use up the whole amount of blood for a single patient.”

The state government, however, has no such plans of acquiring the device for the state-run blood banks in the near future. An official of the health department said: “The state government has no such plans but the Bihar State Aids Control Society under the National Aids Control Organisation can install blood component separator machine. They might have a plan to purchase a blood component separator machine for the state-run blood banks. There was a plan to purchase a blood component separator machine for Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital but I am not aware of the progress in the scheme. BSACS officials can throw light on the plan” said the official.