Going by the directions from the State government, plasma therapy or convalescent plasma therapy will soon begin in the city.
As of now permission has been given to three blood banks in the city to draw plasma from those patients who have recovered after being affected by the COVID-19 and are convalescing. According to health officials, the blood banks that are authorised are KGH, AS Raja and Apollo.
But senior doctors are of the opinion that the policy designed by the State government for collection of plasma, may not suit the present and pressing need for the therapy. According to the policy, the State Health Department will allot a few numbers to the hospitals that are authorised to run the therapy and they have to call the numbers and ask them to come forward to donate or give plasma.
At present, there is a huge demand for plasma and restricting the number of donors or volunteers may not be good, said a senior doctor.
“We need more donors and especially when there are donors or volunteers waiting in the wings, why restrict them? There is a necessity for rethink,” he said.
Moreover, it is learnt that the health officials who tried to call a few numbers, experienced cold response. “Many either said that they are away for a few days or not interested,” said a health official. It is learnt that the State government had designed this policy to keep in check that it does not become a business model for many.
The plasma has to be collected from convalescing patients and transfused into the COVID -19 patients.
According to P.V. Sudhakar, District COVID Special Officer and Principal Andhra Medical College, the therapy is effective when the collected plasma is infused into moderate cases. According to the ICMR guidelines, it has not reduced the complications or death rate in serious conditions. There is no need for this therapy for mild cases, he said.
The plasma collected from convalescing patients is loaded with antibodies and the main aim is to infuse antibodies into a positive case, said Dr. Sudhakar.
The district has been seeing a drop in cases from 1,000 per day on an average to about 400, since the first week of this month. But health officials are keeping their fingers crossed and say that it is too early to come to any conclusion.
“After Delhi resurgence, we are cautious about the resurgence factor and that is why we are continuing aggressively with our strategy of Test, Trace and Treat,” said Dr. Sudhakar.