Platelet Scam Busted: 10 Arrested In Prayagraj For Selling Plasma To Dengue Patients

Ten men have been arrested in UP’s Prayagraj for allegedly selling fake platelets to families battling dengue. The arrest comes right after an incident where a dengue patient died after he was allegedly transfused with ‘lime water’ instead of platelets. However, it has not been proven that the packet contained juice. An investigation is on and the test results are awaited.

Reportedly, the arrested men were taking plasma from the blood banks and repackaging them as platelets. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood that is devoid of cellular components like red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It is usually rich in salts and enzymes. People suffering from Dengue have to be administered platelets which plasma lacks.

As per some sources, the accused have denied selling juice as platelets. Rather they were selling plasma as platelets. The juice theory is still under investigation. Reportedly, the accused have been taking advantage of the situation where many parts of the country are facing a platelet shortage amid rising cases of infection.

The accused were arrested on a tip-off and were reportedly putting the plasma into different pouches and pasting stickers of platelets on top of it.

Bihar runs short on platelets

Amid the rising cases of dengue in Bihar, there have been reports of the state facing acute platelet shortage. As per reports, the shortage was apparent for the negative blood group types. The Bihar state blood bank reportedly was not having a single unit of AB-negative blood type. It had only one unit each of A-negative and B-negative and three units of O-negative blood group type. Reports suggest that there is also underutilisation of platelets apheresis equipment which helps increase the platelet count by 40,000-50,000 per microlitre of blood. Around 237 dengue patients have been hospitalised so far in different health centres of the state out of which 177 hospitalisations are from Patna