Plasma medicine is an emerging field that combines plasma physics, life sciences and clinical medicine
Prof Dr. Abdullah G Arijo
A medical miracle is on the way. Pakistan and UAE have laid strong foundations of mutually beneficial relations, friendship and peaceful cooperation over the years and the UAE is keen to invest in different sectors of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, especially in the health field.
UAE aimed to invest in plasma farming in Pakistan based on WHO standards. The blood services in the country are mostly provided by hospital blood banks with no functional separation of the plasma processes into production and utilization.
Plasma is commonly given to trauma, burn and shock patients, as well as people with severe liver disease or multiple clotting factor deficiencies. It helps boost the patient’s blood volume, which can prevent shock and helps with blood clotting.
Let us be clear that human blood carries 55 per cent plasma and 45 per cent cells including RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. Largely people know about blood and the least is known about plasma farming, even though under medical emergencies, it has dire significance.
Plasma is commonly given to trauma, burn and shock patients, as well as people with severe liver disease or multiple clotting factor deficiencies
Plasma medicine is an emerging field that combines plasma physics, life sciences and clinical medicine. It is being studied in disinfection, healing, and cancer. Most of the research is in vitro and in animal models. It uses ionized gas (physical plasma) for medical uses or dental applications. The plasma is used to treat liquids and investigate oxidant deposition. Cells cultured in micro-plates are plasma-treated, and biological readouts are performed.
In 2022, the success story got its footing when a delegation from the UAE arrived in Pakistan to carry out a feasibility study for a project to set up the first plasma farming facilities in the South Asian country.
Plasma farming technology is a growing field in patient care and clinical medicine. It involves plasma fractionation, the processing of plasma harvested by donors to break it into individual proteins, or plasma fractions.
Protein products derived from human plasma are used often as the only available option in the prevention and treatment of life-threatening conditions resulting from trauma, congenital deficiencies, immunologic disorders, or infections. Besides, proteins from human plasma are used in the treatment of life-threatening conditions.
During the delegation’s visit recently, Pakistani Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel told Arab News last Thursday that he wishes the establishment of plasma farming facilities would happen “as early as possible.”
The minister further said that “We have discussed and decided to establish state-of-the-art PFFs in Pakistan which will be the first of its kind.
Fresh frozen plasma is a blood product made from the liquid portion of whole blood. It is used to treat conditions in which there are low blood clotting factors or low levels of other blood proteins. It may also be used as the replacement fluid in plasma exchange.
Pakistan and the UAE have been working on the PFF project for several months, and in a follow-up, a visit by the UAE delegation to assess potential, and to conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of PFFs based on World Health Organization’s standards. It is anticipated that in comparison to the past when the blood services in the country were mostly provided by hospital blood banks, with no separation of the plasma processes into production and utilization. However, the present development will help solve this issue as the PFFs would become operational.
This development is a novel step and progress towards solving an issue which will further strengthen the infrastructures required.
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Prof. (R) Dr. Abdullah G. Arijo is Advisor and Visiting Professor Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Sakrand, Sindh Pakistan. Formerly, he was Chairman, Department of Parasitology, Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam. After retirement, he also served there as Advisor Academics & P&D to Vice Chancellor. He can be reached at Email: abdullaharijo.faculty@sbbuvas.edu.pk
