Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated plasma therapy centres at MKCG Medical College And Hospital in Berhampur and Veer Surendra Sai Institute Of Medical Science And Research (VIMSAR) in Burla. With this, Odisha now has five such facilities. “One plasma centre is dedicated to one zone of the state,” said Naveen Patnaik while inaugurating the facilities.
Earlier, the BJD supremo had urged people to make plasma donations so that no COVID victim is deprived of the facility. Last Tuesday, a web portal for plasma donors was launched while establishing the second plasma facility at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. “Plasma donation was started as a government initiative; I am sure that now with the participation of more and more people, this will be a community-driven people’s movement,” added Patnaik.
In the last three weeks, three plasma therapy facilities have been inaugurated in three different places. These include SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, and Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela.
Plasma therapy is based on the fundamental principle that the blood of a recovered patient is rich in antibodies required to resist COVID-19. Antibodies are Y shaped proteins generated by a human body and utilized by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign organisms such as bacteria and viruses. These antibodies can help in the treatment of other patients.
Notably, 1337 new COVID-19 cases have been identified in the last 24 hours. This takes the total tally in Odisha to 39,018. Meanwhile, the total cumulative recoveries in the state stand at 25,738.