Berhampur: Battling a steady rise in COVID-19 cases, Ganjam district administration Tuesday launched convalescent plasma therapy to treat coronavirus infected patients.
Ganjam collector Vijay Amruta Kulange Tuesday inaugurated the plasma therapy ward at MKCG hospital in Berhampur Tuesday afternoon.
“The district administration will bear all travel expenses of recently recovered COVID patients to take them to the SCB College and Hospital in Cuttack, should they come forward to donate their plasma,” Kulange said.
“Total 400 patients in Ganjam district are now ready to donate their plasma for the treatment of other COVID patients in the district” he added.
Total six blood plasma units, so far, have reached the hospital from SCB Medical College and Hospital in the first phase. The district administration will use the six units of blood plasma in treating the patients at four COVID-19 hospitals in the district including TATA COVID Hospital at Sitalapalli, a source in the administration said.
Notably, as Ganjam has the highest number of cured patients in the state. Kulange had earlier directed the officials to gather details including blood group of recovered persons in their respective areas and approach them to donate plasma.
MKCG College and Hospital Dean, Diptee Mayee Tripathy said that with the help of state government, plasma unit collection machine will be available in the blood bank of MKCG shortly.
However, the therapy involves the separation of antibodies from a person cured of the novel coronavirus and its subsequent infusion into the vein of the COVID-19 patient.
The procedure requires volunteers who have recovered from COVID-19 and are above the age of 18. They can donate plasma, the yellowish liquid component of the blood between the first and fourth months after recovery.
In the inauguration programme MKCG Superintendent Prof. Santosh Kumar Mishra, Assistant Superintendent Dr.Kirana Kumar Pattnaik, COVID Hospital Nodal Officer Umasankar Mishra and MKCG Administrative Officer Sachidananda Nayak were present.
PNN
