After giving plasma to 3,000 patients, YCM hospital stops its collection for covid treatment

On Monday, the ICMR said that the Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients have been revised and convalescent plasma has been dropped from the guidelines.

3 min readUpdated: May 18, 2021 12:27 PM IST

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Dr Mosalgi said in the last one year, they have provided plasma for 3000 patients. "These are both civic hospital patients as well as those from other hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad," he said.(File Photo)

After the Centre on Monday dropped the off-label use of convalescent plasma from the Covid treatment guidelines, citing its ineffectiveness, the civic-run YCM hospital has decided to stop collecting and distributing plasma from Tuesday.

“Since the Government has dropped plasma therapy from the COVID protocol, we too have decided to call a halt to the process of collecting plasma and giving it to our patients as well outside patients,” YCM Hospital and Medical College dean Dr Rajendra Wable told this paper today. He however added that they will wait for the actual receipt of the communication in this regard.

On Monday, the ICMR said following a meeting between officials of ICMR and National National Task Force, the Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients have been revised and convalescent plasma has been dropped from the guidelines. The guidelines had suggested use of plasma therapy when the COVID-19 patient had moderate disease or within seven days of the onset of symptoms.

Dr Aniket Lathi, one of the doctors looking after the plasma therapy at YCMH, said, “Plasma therapy seems to have been dropped after it was observed that virulent strain developed after its irrational use,” he said. The ICMR has said that plasma therapy does not offer any benefit to patients when his disease is progressing to severe form, he said.

Dr Shankar Mosalgi, who heads the YCMH blood bank which collects plasma from patients having recovered from COVID, said,”We will wait for FDA guidelines in this connection. So far, we have not received any communication from the government…But since the decision has been taken to stop it, we will have to bring it to a halt.”

When contacted, FDA joint commissioner S B Patil said, “I am aware of the decision of the government. We are also waiting for the communication from the government. As soon as we receive it, we will disseminate the information to hospitals and blood banks.”

Dr Mosalgi said in the last one year, they have provided plasma for 3,000 patients. “These are both civic hospital patients as well as those from other hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” he said.

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Dr Mosalgi said their observation was that plasma therapy was being used irrationally. “Some private hospital doctors recommended plasma when other options had failed. Actually, two plasma bags for one patient is the norm. But some doctors demanded more than two bags. I know about one prominent personality for whom five bags were collected from YCMH. This only reflected the irrational use of plasma,” he said.

Dr Mosalgi said a few days back, 20-22 citizens were turning up to donate plasma. “The number had come down to less than 10 recently,” he said. The PCMC had promise Rs 2000 per donation to those who give plasma 28 days after they have recovered from COVID.

Dr Mosalgi added that they have not been able to keep track as to how many patients benefitted from plasma therapy. “We did not get the feedback from the patients or doctors. So are in a position to tell whether it benefitted patients or not,” he said.

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Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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