RAWALPINDI, Sept 5: Despite tall claims to ensure provision of all healthcare facilities in the province; the Punjab government has failed to install cell separator machines at the three main hospitals in the city, causing inconvenience to patients, especially dengue suspects.

Due to unavailability of these machines at the blood banks of Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital; patients are forced to get platelets and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) from private laboratories and hospitals.

Doctors said platelets and FFPs were given to patients suffering from dengue, hepatitis and other liver related problems. An average patient requires at least 10 to 15 pints of platelets or FFPs to stop bleeding.

During malaria and dengue season, government hospitals, which cater to the district with a population of 4.5 million, urgently need the cell separator machines. Doctors advise over 100 patients daily to get platelets and FFPs from private laboratories and hospitals. A pint of platelet or FFP costs Rs800 to Rs1,000 if bought from private hospitals or laboratories.

During a visit to the three government hospitals by this reporter, patients said the government should install necessary equipment in the hospitals to provide free medical facilities to the people.

“My brother is suffering from Hepatitis-C and he requires FFPs when his condition deteriorates.

It is difficult for us to arrange fresh frozen plasma  as it is not available at DHQ hospital’s blood bank,” said Mohammad Bilal, a resident of Nayya Mohallah.

Naseer Malik, an attendant of a dengue patient at DHQ hospital, said doctors had advised him to arrange it from private laboratories.

When contacted, DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Sher Ali Khan said the hospital administration was not controlling the blood transfusion unit and only provided space to it.

He said purchase and installation of the machinery was the responsibility of the blood transfusion department.

However, he said platelets or FFPs were direly required to deal with emergency cases or dengue patients at the hospital.

Professor Dr Mohammad Umer, head of medicine department at Rawalpindi Medical College, said the government should install cell separator machines at the three teaching hospitals to deal with dengue patients.

Divisional Blood Transfusion Officer Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan said the mega cell separator machine was not available at the three government hospitals and other district and tehsil headquarters hospitals. “We have sent the request to Punjab government as the number of dengue patients is increasing and there is a dire need for the machines,” he said.

He said the blood transfusion department had installed an alternative machine called refrigerated centrifuge machine at Holy Family Hospital to prepare platelets for emergency. The blood transfusion department provided 4,000 pints of platelets to the dengue patients last year, he added.

“The provincial government is facing financial problems and is unable to install the machines,” he said, adding the cost of the machine was Rs5 million and a single kit to separate white cells from the blood costs Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 per pint.