Relief for patients as Gurdaspur hospital gets new platelet machine

Much to the relief of local residents, a new blood platelet machine has been installed at the Civil Hospital.

Earlier, in the absence of such a facility, patients from Gurdaspur and its adjoining areas had to travel to Amritsar or Jalandhar for treatment. A delegation of residents had approached Raman Bahl, Chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), who in turn, got in touch with the manufacturing units of these machines.

Patients had to spend a huge amount of money while travelling to other cities. However, they will have to pay just Rs 2,000 as government expenses for platelet transfusion.

These are called apheresis machines.

Gurdaspur had just one machine which was installed in a private hospital.

This entity will not only benefit patients admitted to the district hospital, but also those who are admitted to private hospitals as they will get platelets at the price at government hospitals.

“Patients admitted to private hospitals who were facing a shortage of blood platelets were forced to buy these from private blood banks at high prices and had to pay around Rs 15,000. However, patients in the district hospital will now get platelets by paying only Rs 2,000 as government fee. The patient will just have to bring a platelet donor with him,” said Raman Bahl.