Dengue outbreak: Lone platelet extracting machine at Mohali dist hospital lying defunct

The machine, if functional, can extract 30,000-40,000 platelets from a single unit of blood. In its absence, patients from Mohali are forced to go to government hospitals in Chandigarh or private hospitals

Amid an unprecedented surge in dengue cases, the sole platelet apheresis machine at Mohali’s district hospital, which was bought about three years ago, is lying defunct, resulting in patients being referred to government hospitals in Chandigarh or private ones.

In just two months, Mohali has recorded around 1,900 dengue infections while the count stood at 471 last year. (HT File)

In just two months, Mohali has recorded around 1,900 dengue infections while the count stood at 471 last year. The district has also lost 21 patients to the virus, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The civil hospital had bought an apheresis machine at a cost of around ₹30 lakh three years ago, but has never been able to make use of it. The machine, if functional, can extract 30,000-40,000 platelets from a single unit of blood.

Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarsh Pal Kaur said a part of the machine has been damaged. “We have already informed the authorities concerned about it. An engineer will come next week and hopefully, it will be functional soon.”

She further said, “We have one machine in Kharar, which is functional, and we get the platelets from there as and when we require. Also, for use of the machine, the kit has to be provided by the patients only. One kit costs around ₹8,000.”

A senior official of the hospital said, “Most patients go to private hospitals for platelets, which is very expensive.”

UT health secretary Yashpal Garg, had earlier issued a statement, which read, “The patient count in Chandigarh hospitals has increased manifold due to patients coming from adjoining areas. In the past one week alone, 80% of patients from adjoining areas who were suffering from acute fever were admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32. Most of the patients who are referred to our hospitals are non-critical and can be treated in their respective hospitals only.”

What the machine does?

An apheresis machine is a device which receives blood removed from a patient or donor’s body and separates it into its various components: plasma, platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. Depending on the reason for apheresis, one of these components is isolated and collected by the instrument, while the others are returned to the body. The machine at the Mohali district hospital can extract 30,000-40,000 platelets from a single unit of blood.