Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has allowed the Health Department to invite investors and bring in technology to introduce the Plasma Fractionation industry in the province.
He granted the permission while presiding over a meeting which was called to discuss the Plasma Fractionation Plan. The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Azar Fazal Pechuho, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Qasim Soomro, Health Secretary Zulfiqar Shah, CM's Secretary Raheem Shaikh and other concerned officers.
While briefing the CM, Dr Pechuho said that plasma was a liquid component of whole blood and made up 50 to 55 per cent of total blood volume. She added that fractionation is a process by which plasma is separated into individual protein fractions that are further purified for medical use.
She said that the active process of Plasma Fractionation is conducted at blood banks, such as donor management, blood collection, screening, component making, storage, shelf life, quality control, waste disposal, data management, awareness, and voluntary blood donation drives.
Currently, large-scale manufacturers mostly focus on Albumin used to treat severe trauma and terminally ill patients, Immunoglobulins for treatment of immune deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and severe bacterial and viral infections, Coagulation factor for hemophilia and Fibrinogen for treatment of liver cirrhosis, postpartum hemorrhage, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, according to Dr Pechuho.
About the benefits of having a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMPs), she said that for patients it would be effective, locally available, and affordable prescription. For doctors, it would be authentic screening methods and utilisation of recovered plasma. She added that for Sindh it would bring in the latest technology, improve skills, create job opportunities, and establish a fractionation industry.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2023.
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