After dilly-dallying on the issue for a long time, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has started the initiative for setting up a plasma fractionation centre in Chennai for which the central government had already earmarked Rs 250 crore. The centre will have a capacity to process more than 1.5 lakh litres of plasma and is being established as part of the ongoing National AIDS Control Programme- phase-III to ensure access of plasma derivatives to needy patients at affordable prices.

According to sources, NACO will engage the services of an experienced organization as project management consultant (PMC) for setting up the centre. In order to initiate the project, NACO has invited expression of interest (EOI) from reputed organisations to serve as PMC. The scope of work for PMC will be to assist NACO in implementation of this project starting from conceptualizing the project using Cohn n Chromatography Technology as a process, prepare design, other documents and assist in procurement of goods, works and services and supervise implementation as per the timelines agreed, till the time, the project is handed over to NACO.

Government of India is implementing this project as a ‘centrally sponsored scheme’. The state-of-the-art facility with the latest technology and equipment is expected to reduce the dependence to imports of factor VIII and factor IX derivatives and save foreign exchange. It will manufacture all important plasma derivatives which are presently being imported. The imported plasma derivatives are expensive and not accessible to all the needy patients. The centre will be operated on a self-sustained, non-profit model in the public sector.

Plasma is one of the components of blood and can be used for preparation of several plasma derivatives. Transfusion of plasma and administration of plasma fractionation derivatives is indicated for many medical conditions such as Haemophilia-A, Haemophilia -B, Von-Willebrnd's disease, Immunodeficiencies, and others. These patients require periodic transfusion of a desired plasma product for their clinical management. However, in the absence of access to these derivatives, whole blood is used which is a sub-optimal use of the blood.

The bulk demand for the plasma components is met through imports. Plasma and plasma derivatives are not accessible to the economically poor patients due to high costs. Haemophiliacs need to take Anti Hemophilic Factor (AHF) at periodic intervals or lifelong, depending on the severity of the condition.