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Make Plasma Donation By COVID-19 Survivors Mandatory: Indian Medical Association To Maharashtra Govt
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Maharashtra, 15 July 2020 1:23 PM GMT | Updated 16 July 2020 7:13 AM GMT
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Reportedly, only 180 cured patients in the state have come forward and donated their plasma, while others are in view of getting re-infected by the virus, and hence, refuse to donate.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the Maharashtra government to mandate the plasma donation by all the recovered COVID-19 patients for convalescent plasma therapy to improve the recovery rate and reducing mortalities in the state.
Reportedly, only 180 patients recovered in the state have come forward and donated their plasma, while others are in view of getting re-infected by the virus, and hence, refuse to donate.
The therapy includes extracting the plasma from the recovered person's blood and infusing it into a critically ill COVID-19 patient, as it contains a specific neutralizing antibody that removes pathogens, and possibly stop the virus from combining with the cell surface receptor, further stopping the disease progression.
"The therapy was thoroughly tested at various government medical colleges and proved to be a life-saving measure in patients with hypoxia, who needed oxygen and possible admission to the ICU. However, it is not used frequently at various treatment centres in Maharashtra. One of the main reasons cited is the non-availability of plasma donors in sufficient numbers," Free Press Journal quoted IMA President, Dr Avinash Bhondwe.
Considering the less number of volunteers, Dr Bhondwe has now recommended the hospitals to take a mandatory undertaking from all the recovered patients to report on the 15th day after their discharge or recovery.
The government may make the procedure of blood donation for the plasma collection compulsory under the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 or a new ordinance, he added.
He requested people to donate the plasma, considering it as an obligation to humanity and contribute their bit in combating the virus.
Speaking to the media, Dr Om Srivastava, infectious disease expert, who has been supervising the plasma therapy trials with the BMC, said that the donation is the need of the hour, considering the surging cases in the state.
So far, 19 of the 20 patients on whom the BMC has used this therapy have recovered, while one died. The administration has asked the doctors to start counselling the patients about the treatment.
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