The city will soon have Asia's largest blood bank, with storage space for more than 2 lakh units of blood and a facility to extract protein from blood plasma. To cost Rs 400 crore, the 65,000-sq ft blood bank will come up adjacent to the Government General Hospital on a 10-acre piece of land given to the health department, part of which will be used for an outpatient block. The blood bank will be constructed with assistance from Central government funds.

The facility to extract protein from blood plasma is significant because the protein, called immunoglobulin, acts as an antibody. Immunoglobulin therapy provides life-saving treatment for pregnant women, patients with nerve disorders, liver cirrhosis, cancer and hepatitis. Presently, protein is imported and costs more than Rs 3 lakh for five vials. In some cases, patients who can't afford this are treated with a finer grade of plasma cells that are closest to protein.

Replying to the demands on grants for the health and family welfare department, minister M R K Panneerselvam said the allocation for health and family welfare had been increased to Rs 3,391 crore for 2009-10.

Source: TNN