Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated state’s sixth plasma bank at Saheed Laxman Naik (SLN) Medical College & Hospital in Koraput.
Mohammad Suffian, Bhubaneswar: disha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated state’s sixth plasma bank at Saheed Laxman Naik (SLN) Medical College & Hospital in Koraput. Odisha is the third state in the country after Delhi and Maharastra to have introduced convalescent plasma therapy for the treatment of serious Covid-19 patients.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on July 15 inaugurated the first Covid-19 plasma bank at SCB Medical College and Hospital.
As part of the state’s fight against the novel virus, Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated state’s 6th plasma bank for Covid-19 patients
“In continuation to our humble efforts in the service of the people, today, we will see the sixth plasma bank of the state open in Koraput,” Patnaik said.
Patnaik said that more than 400 Covid-19 patients have been transfused with plasma in the state so far and that it has shown good results in 320 of them. Highest among them are police personnel. A total of 54 Odisha police personnel have donated plasma at different Covid-19 hospitals in the state.
As many as 2,000 police personnel in Odisha have been infected by the novel coronavirus on call of duty during the lockdown.
Vivekanand Sharma (IPS) asst. IG of police told India Today TV that police officers who have recovered are more than delighted to save other Covid-19 patients by donating their plasma.
Moreover, it was decided by Odisha police DGP that each personnel who successfully donates plasma will be conferred a ‘commendation’ in his service book by SP or head of the establishment where he is posted.
Meanwhile, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has assigned the charge of various districts to his ministers who would visit the assigned districts and encourage recovered patients to donate their plasma to treat critically-ill patients.
According to the administration, 205 survivours have registered themselves to donate plasma in the state for the treatment of critical patients.
Odisha had reported its first recovery through plasma therapy on July 24 when a 48-year-old woman from Cuttack was cured of the infection after the procedure at Ashwini Covid Hospital there.
The state government provides plasma treatment free of cost to Covid-19 patients. A plasma therapy costs Rs 9,100 for the state government.
Odisha government bears all expenses, including travel and food of the donor.
A separate instrument and trained staff is required to collect plasma from a Covid-19 patient after 28 days of his/her recovery.
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