FIRST STEP FROM SAFE BLOOD TO SAFEST BLOOD

Prathama from last 16 years is working towards its objective to provide safe and sufficient blood components to needy patients. Prathama was India’s first blood Centre to work on principal of 100% Voluntary blood donations and blood componentization. Almost 1.75 lac components are made available every year to patients in need of blood, by Prathama, on no replacement basis. Patients getting blood transfusion are always at risk to get blood transmittable diseases. Also there is certain category of patients like Thalassemia, Haemophilia, Aplastic Anaemia, Sickle Cell Anaemia, etc who needs regular blood transfusion for survival. More than 500 patients of such blood disorder are registered at Prathama. These patients get sufficient blood components, as and when required from Prathama and that too without any processing charges.

In last few years, many cases came forward where patients got infected blood, in many states. Responsibility to screen blood donation for the same before issuing to patients is on blood banks. Prathama from day one is working on automated environment to ensure availability safe blood to patients. Moving one step ahead Prathama is launching Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT). Prathama installed FDA approved NAT testing instruments of Roche Diagnostics India. This is an advanced technique to screen blood for blood transfusion diseases. With this technique blood disease with reduced window period can be detected. This will ensure safest blood to patients. This will be a boon to immune suppressed patients who are at higher risk of getting infection.

Like other concepts in blood banking, Prathama is the first blood centre in the state of Gujarat to launch NAT testing. On the occasion of World Thallasemia Day that is on 8th May Prathama is inaugurating NAT testing lab. Inauguration will be done by Thallasemia kids who are associated with Prathama from many years. Every year Prathama celebrates Thallasemia Day with patients registered at Centre. On this day assurance of safest blood components will be the gift to patients in need of blood.