TIRUCHI
A Tiruchi-based emergency physician has begun work to enlist prospective donors of plasma to patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Mohammed Hakkim has joined hands with Uyir Thuli Blood Bank and Research Centre to create a database of willing donors across Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Hakkim said that the initiative was launched after trials were undertaken at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai proved to be successful.
“Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar announced that a plasma bank at the cost of ₹2 crore is being set up in Chennai. We, here decided we wanted to pitch in and help,” he said. He claimed that once more patients begin to be treated with plasma, the demand will skyrocket, creating a shortage.
Over the past three months, the number of blood donations has fallen, and to get plasma during an emergency would be difficult. “Due to stigma and fear, patients who have recovered from the viral infection are afraid to donate plasma. The authorities must create awareness and their important role in fighting COVID-19,” Dr. Hakkim said. The government could also offer incentives for donation.
The initiative, launched on Tuesday, has received around 60 applications from individuals across Tamil Nadu volunteering to be potential donors. “If they are near Tiruchi, we can arrange for their travel and organise the donation at Uyir Thuli, which has a special licence to collect plasma from donors, or we can guide them to the plasma bank in Chennai,” he said. An online portal and a website for filing applications will soon be made available so people who have recovered from the infection across Tamil Nadu can donate and those in need of plasma can get in touch through the website.
An individual must spend at least 14 days in home quarantine following treatment before they are eligible to donate. “Patients diagnosed with diabetes, pregnant women and those over the age of 55 are not eligible. Asymptomatic patients are the best candidates,” he said.
Dr. Hakkim also appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to make a real-time list of donors available so that those looking for plasma can arrange for it from the nearest blood banks. Frontline workers, including police personnel and journalists, can be encouraged to donate, he said.
