KARACHI: Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan on Wednesday inaugurated the Pediatric Plasmapheresis facility at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) Karachi. The provision of facility is a joint collaboration of Pakistan Myasthenia Welfare Organization (PMWO) and Direct Aid Program (DAP) of the Australian Government. Plasmapheresis is a term used to refer to a broad range of procedures in which extracorporeal separation of blood components results in a filtered plasma product. Plasmapheresis is a process in which the liquid part of the blood, or plasma, is separated from the blood cells. Typically, the plasma is replaced with another solution such as saline or albumin, or the plasma is treated and then returned to your body. Speaking on the occasion, the Australian High Commissioner said that NICH was doing remarkable work for the children and is a leading institute in Pakistan for children’s healthcare. “We are very happy to extend our cooperation and help to NICH through PMWO. Such lifesaving institutional health care facility collaboration will continue in future for the better care of needy children of Pakistan,” Margaret Adamson stated. At the inauguration ceremony Director, NICH Prof. Syed Jamal Raza paid gratitude to the Australian High Commissioner for providing an advanced healthcare facility for the children of Sindh. Later on talking to Daily Times, Prof. Raza said that the Plasmapheresis unit at NICH will also provide a facility of Cell Separator for Mega Units Platelets required for treatment of children with leukemia, aplastic anemia and dengue fever. This single mega unit of platelets costs about Rs. 15,000 he said. “Each patient usually requires 4 to 6 sessions and each session costs anywhere from PKR 50,000 to PKR 60,000 in the private sector. It is likely that 1,045 patients will benefit from this treatment facility,” Director NICH informed. Prof. Raza said National Institute of Child Health is the premiere Pediatric Institute of the country and has achieved a milestone in establishing a Plasmapheresis facility as part of our vision to develop sub-specialties and offer such services which are very expensive and not easily accessible to the poor and under privilege children.