Amritsar, Punjab: With an aim to improve health services in Amritsar, Punjab government inaugurated city’s fourth government blood bank and apheresis machine at the Civil Hospital on Monday.
Officials said the installation of the equipment is a step towards providing better health facilities in the city. “The apheresis machine would prove helpful for dengue patients since platelets in blood could be separated easily and made available to them at nominal rates,“ she said.
The Health Minister said using this machine, platelets are removed in such a manner that there is no health loss to the donor, who is fit to donate blood again after three days.
“The Rs 40-lakh machine has also been installed in Civil Hospitals at Mohali, Bathinda, Sangrur, Jalandhar and Ludhiana besides Amritsar. Similarly, 11 cell separator machines have also been inaugurated at different hospitals across the state,“ she said.
Chawla said a telemedicine facility has also been inaugurated at the hospital under which the patients would get a chance to consult doctors from hospitals like PGI.
About the facilities available at the Civil Hospital, Chawla said the state-of-the-art equipment like Phaco machines, dialysis machines for diabetic patients, trauma unit, latest equipment for treating bone diseases and 24-hour power backup are available for the benefit of patients.
Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu and Civil Surgeon Dr Chandanjeet Singh Kondal hoped that similar facilities would also be provided by the state government in hospitals at sub-division level.
