Apheresis technique, a new method of testing blood has been introduced at Rwanda Military Hospital.

The method that was launched on Thursday is a medical procedure that involves taking blood from a donor or patient and separating the blood into individual components so that one particular component that is needed can be removed and the remaining components are then re-introduced back into the bloodstream of the patient or donor.

This method is set to bring about a huge progress in the treatment of some cancers and diseases that affect red blood cells, platelet and plasma among others.

Patients who suffered from these diseases were offered less and those who afforded expenses resorted to treatment from outside countries like India, South Africa among others; however this is all set to change.

Lt Col Dr Fabien Ntaganda a hemato-pathologist at Rwanda Military Hospital said that the introduction of a fully automated apheresis machine is a great step towards the improvement of patients care in the country but also in the region.

A hemato-pathologist is a medical practitioner who specialises in blood.

The main components of the blood include platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells and plasma, each of these can be removed for different reasons.

Ntaganda explained that the machine has three main functions namely blood donation, therapeutic apheresis and stem cell harvest for bone marrow transplantation.

"Many diseases ranging from minor ones such as malaria to the very complicated ones like cancer can be treated using apheresis technique. Take an example of severe malaria; it attacks red blood cells so this machine has the ability to remove the affected red blood cells and put back the normal ones, this helps in speeding up the healing process,” he explained.

The machine works along with other medication, however when the disease is discovered in late stages after becoming chronic, less can be achieved with the treatment.

The machine will be fully operational once doctors master its use hence further discussion for training is yet to be planned.

"The cost of the procedure is not yet known but will depend on several factors like the cost of the machine, the expertise of end users and different consumables. We hope it will be affordable for the general population.”

"We shall discuss billings with the people who are responsible for setting medical charges.” Dr Ntaganda added.

How the machine works

Odette Uwanyirigira a nurse at Rwanda Military Hospital explained how the machine works saying that it mainly helps in the separation of blood whether it’s from the donor or a patient.

Blood is taken from the patient or donor and is separated in different parts and then it gets that which is needed and the rest is put back into the bloodstream.

"For instance when one comes for testing, if we need red blood cells, we get the blood sample then take red blood cells and the rest is put back. For a sick person if it’s the plasma which is affected, we take out blood, get the plasma and the rest is put back,” Uwanyirigira explained.

She added that, the machine will have a great impact for the patients, in addition to the usual medication there will be efficiency with the new machine and with this patients will have more than a promising future.

Benefit to neighbouring countries

The step is an advantage for Rwanda as a country,but neighboring countries are also set to benefit from it.

Dr Henry Ddungu a consultant, Hemalogy, Oncology from Uganda Cancer Institute said that Uganda as a country is learning a lot from Rwanda, and that this step is yet another example that the country has to emulate. 

"We don’t have this machine in Uganda and we don’t have this kind of technology, this will however be helpful because we can easily send our patients here for transfer. This is the kind of cooperation that we need and we have to learn from each other in implementing these technologies,” Ddungu said.

The machine is the first of its kind in the whole of east and central Africa and has the capacity to work on four or five patients a day.

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