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Arun V J: Is Plasma The Semiconductor Chips In Healthcare?
Arun V J/LinkedIn
Mar 8, 2026, 07:28

Arun V J: Is Plasma The Semiconductor Chips In Healthcare?

Arun V J, Consultant in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at Malabar Medical College, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Is Plasma The Semiconductor Chips In Healthcare?

India has 1.4 billion people. Highest eligible donor population.

Then why do we import most of our plasma medicines?

Plasma is liquid gold.

Inside that pale yellow fluid are:

  • Immunoglobulins (IVIG)
  • Clotting factors (VIII, IX)
  • Albumin
  • Life-saving proteins for hemophilia, immune deficiencies, ICU care

Yet India still imports a large share of its plasma-derived medicines.

We have:

  • More than 3,000 blood centres
  • Millions of blood donations annually
  • A strong pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem

But we also have:

  • Fragmented plasma collection
  • Limited large-scale fractionation capacity
  • No robust national plasma pooling grid
  • Regulatory limitations on source plasma
  • High discard rates in some regions

Most of our plasma comes from recovered plasma (after whole blood donation).

Countries like the US rely heavily on source plasma collected via plasmapheresis – predictable, scalable, industrial.

Fractionation requires:

  • Consistent volumes
  • Strict freezing timelines
  • GMP pharmaceutical processing
  • Capital-heavy infrastructure

Without aggregation, there is no economy of scale.
Without scale, there is no viability.
Without viability, imports continue.

This is not a criticism.

If we want plasma self-reliance, the conversation must shift toward:

  • National plasma pooling models
  • Public–private fractionation partnerships
  • Infrastructure upgrades in blood centres
  • Transparent plasma utilization data
  • Policy-level strategic planning

Healthcare sovereignty is not about sentiment.
It is about resilience.

During global supply disruptions, plasma imports become vulnerable.
Plasma isn’t just a blood component.

It is strategic healthcare infrastructure.

The question is not whether India can do it.

The question is whether we will build the system to do it.

If you work in transfusion medicine, healthcare policy, pharma, or hospital leadership – this deserves attention.

Let’s discuss.”

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Albumin Blood And Plasma doctors Dr Arun V J Health healthcare Hemophilia Hemostasis Hemostasis News Hemostasis Today immune deficiencies Immunoglobulins Medicine Plasma Donation
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