In order to cater to the increasing demand of platelets for patients, around 48 blood banks in the city have taken up the initiative to augment the first of its kind voluntary platelet donor registry in the country started by Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH). The current requirement of platelets in India is estimated at 70,000 single donor platelets (SDPs) per year.

Under the initiative, any donor willing to undergo platelet donation or pheresis can register with the recently launched website- www.fbbb.org.in of Federation of Bombay Blood Banks (FBBB) to help connect with the blood banks in the city. "We have tied up with 48 city based blood banks to build up the platelet donor registry as a model not only for the city but as a project feasible to be replicated across the country. There are 70 per cent donors fulfilling the requirement for platelets at TMH," said Priya Dutt, trustee, Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust (NDMCT).

An eligible platelet donor should be between 18 to 50 years of age and weight above 55 kgs. The donor is evaluated for eligibility for plateletpheresis after taking a blood sample for blood grouping, complete blood counts (CBC) and mandatory tests for screening, transfusion transmitted infections.

The platelet donor is attached to a cell separator, a computer controlled machine that draws donor blood with the help of a disposable set, removes the platelets and returns the plasma and all other blood components back to the donor. The whole process takes about 2 hours.

"Platelet donations on the cell separator machine collected by Apheresis technique, called SDPs, are at least six times as effective as platelets separated from donated whole blood units. The challenge lies in that there is a wide gap in availability of platelets due to lack of awareness. Voluntary platelet donations are the best means of providing safe blood components to bridge the gap in demand and supply," explained Dr Sunil Rajadhyaksha, head, department of transfusion medicine, TMH, Mumbai.

Most platelet transfusions are given to patients suffering from blood cancers, bone marrow transplant recipients and after major surgeries or extensive injuries and infections like dengue and malaria. Platelet donors can donate after 3 days of platelet donation and as much as 24 times in a year.

The voluntary platelet donor registry is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the India. The campaign to support the initiative named 'Save A Life' started in November 2009 by a team consisting of transfusion medicine specialists, paediatric oncologists and support from NDMCT, ImPaCCT Foundation and GJ Kapoor Foundation. In the last 5 years, a total of 2280 donors were enrolled in the registry, 980 donated platelets and more than 75 of these voluntary donors have donated platelets more than 10 times, 15 have donated more than 25 times and 3 have donated platelets more than 100 times.

In TMH in 2009, there was a supply gap of more than 25 per cent which has reduced to less than 10 per cent in 2014 despite almost doubling of platelet requirement.

Mumbai based FBBB, a non-profit charitable organisation has under its fold 48 members comprising of government, semi-government, municipal, Red Cross and trust hospital blood banks in the city. Dr Zarin Bharucha is the chairperson and Dr Neelam Nijhara is the secretary and treasurer of the organisation.