Punjab opens first plasma bank today, has only 4-5 donors

Out of them, Patiala Government Medical College Principal Dr Harjinder Singh said, when contacted over phone said “four to five would be donating plasma on Tuesday”. He added that he had asked authorities in Government Medical Colleges in Amritsar and Faridkot to send samples of patients who had completed four weeks (28 days) since the person tests positive for the infection, the standard time period to procure plasma.

As per the official media bulletin by the state government till Monday 10510 persons had tested positive and 7,118 were discharged after recovery since the outbreak.

Asked about only four to five recovered patients agreeing to donate plasma, Dr Singh said that seven out of 20 had adequate antibodies in plasma. But, he added, there were number of factors taken into account before considering plasma for transfusion which includes age, co-morbidity and protein analysis.

Dr Singh said in future NGOs could be involved to motivate recovered patients for donation of plasma. “For instance, for blood donation also, we contact NGOs. We have not gone to this level as of now. We are acting on the database which our doctors have,” said Dr Singh.

Sources said that till Saturday, the health authorities had motivated six persons for the plasma donation, but following the required tests, the plasma of only three was found to be fit for donation.

Government Medical College in Patiala, the hometown of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has been selected for the plasma bank in Punjab.

Professor and Pulmonary department head of TB Hospital, Patiala, which is under the GMC Patiala, Dr Vishal Chopra, and Rajindra Hospital Transfusion Medicine (Blood Bank) Senior Medical Officer Dr Rajni Bassi will be appointed as state nodal officers to coordinate plasma therapy in Indian Council of Medical Research approved government centres.

After extraction, plasma is frozen at minus 80 degrees Celcius and can be subsequently kept stored for one year at minus 30 degree Celcius, said an official.

The plasma bank is being set up when there has been consistent increase in Covid 19 fatalities and new positive cases in the recent period.