Serious efforts are on to revive the National Plasma Fractionation Centre (NPFC) at KEM Hospital here with fresh infusion of funds, new equipments, and the return of its former head of department.

The NPFC had become virtually defunct after Dr Chandra Viswanathan, then head of the department, quit over a year ago. Dr Viswanathan is now with Reliance Life Sciences.

In February 2004, however, Dr Vijaylaxmi Ray, who had helped to set up the NPFC and the Institute of Immunohematology (IIH) at KEM almost a decade ago, is expected to return as the head of NPFC.

The resources to revive the NPFC are likely to come from the reserve funds of the NPFC as well as the MCGM. Other possibilities are also being explored according to the Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital's dean Dr Nilima Kshirsagar, who is currently heading the NPFC.

The component laboratory has not been functioning for some time after Dr Chandra Viswanathan, who used to head it, left to join Reliance Life Sciences. After Dr Viswanathan's exit all fractionation activity virtually came to a halt. Currently, there is no production of Factor VIII, Factor IX or albumin, according to informed sources.

It is also learnt that it was tough for the NPFC to find a suitable candidate to head the NPFC, which remained headless for over a year, after Dr Viwanathan's exit.

Before Dr Viswanathan's exit, the laboratory, which is a joint venture by KEM Blood Bank and NPFC used to separate 30,000 blood bags for components as follows:

Platelet concentrates - 6000 units per year
Fresh Frozen Plasma - 20,000 units per year
Factor VIII Deficient Plasma - 3000 units per year
Liquid Stores Plasma - 6000 units per year
Cryoprecipitate - 5000 units per year
Plasma for fractionation - 9000 units per year