IMA to form online plasma donor group in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To meet the demand for plasma after government medical college hospitals in the state started convalescent plasma therapy to treat critical Covid patients, the Indian Medical Association has decided to create an online plasma donor group.
"It has become difficult for the hospitals to contact the patients who are cured of Covid-19 to source the plasma from them," said Dr R C Sreekumar, nodal officer of the project. "We are getting reports that the hospital authorities are contacting the patients who have been cured and discharged from there asking their willingness to donate the plasma. Hence if we have a plasma donor group like the blood donor's forum then it would be helpful for the hospitals." The registration for the online plasma donor group will kick off this week. The form will be available at www.imatrivandrum.org/covid-19. In the first phase, the IMA has decided to seek the help of the hospitals to collect the details of the patients to get enrolled in the forum.
The health department has stepped up measures in setting up plasma banks in all the government medical college hospitals. The first was set up at Manjeri medical college hospital. Another is being planned at the general hospital in Pathanamthitta. The state has already started plasma treatment for critical patients and first such treatment was held in Manjeri medical college hospital.