MADURAI: The deep freezer used for storing Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) that was lying defunct at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) since July was put into use on Tuesday, following a report that appeared in TNIE edition dated November 4. Further, the storage unit at the Trauma Care Centre (TCC) block is set to receive two new spare equipment for FFP and packed cell storage.
FFP is a blood component administered to patients with congenital or acquired coagulation factor deficiency, liver failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation and massive bleeding. At GRH, there are seven deep freezers for storing it - six at GRH Blood Bank in the old Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) block and one in the blood bank's storage unit at the TCC block. A total of 3,000 units of FFP is in stock at the GRH.
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At the storage unit in the TCC Block, FFP and packed red blood cells - brought from the blood bank in the old CEMONC block - are stored in deep freezer and refrigerator respectively, for immediate transfusion to patients admitted for emergency care.
While the deep freezer worth Rs 52,785 at the TCC block has not been functioning since July, the refrigerator has been lying defunct for the past few months. However, a mini-refrigerator with lesser storage capacity is being used at the storage unit. Sources said that the deep freezer went into repair many a time previously.
The deep freezer was procured in March 2012 and was being used for patients at the TCC block (that exclusively handles trauma patients) and those admitted to the super-speciality block (those with liver ailments in the departments of medical and surgical gastroenterology).
As a result of the deep freezer lying idle for over three months, for patients at the two blocks, FFP was being supplied from the blood bank of GRH, which is nearly a kilometre away from the TCC block and the super-speciality block.
Taking note of the news report titled 'Plasma freezer frozen into disuse at Rajaji hospital', the Project Director of Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) Dr K Senthil Raj intervened in the matter, and as a result, the deep freezer, as well as the refrigerator, have been brought into functionality on Tuesday.