BANGKOK, 7 January 2013 The Thai Red Cross Society (TRCS) has signed a deal with a Korean firm to establish a blood plasma center in Chonburi Province with a budget of 2 billion baht.
The agreement was signed between the TRCS and the Green Cross Corporation, a South Korean company. TRCS secretary-general Phan Wannamethee said the Thai Red Cross Society’s main task is to provide blood, plasma, and other blood products to hospitals.
The TRCS has been the main provider of donated blood in all forms. And in 1979, it was able to produce some products from blood plasma to cure patients. At present the organization still has to import some other plasma products at high price due to the complicated technology involved.
Mr Phan further explained that the demand for blood plasma was increasing year by year, making patients less accessible to the product and prompting the TRCS to set up this center.
The blood plasma center will be built on a plot of over 10 rai of land in Si Racha District, Chonburi. According to Mr Phan, by 2015, the center will be starting producing plasmas with a maximum capacity of 200,000 liters per year.
