A couple of patients in Mysuru, who had recovered from COVID-19 and wished to donate their plasma for the treatment of critically-ill infected patients, did not do so as they were not assured of an incentive of ₹5,000 the government had announced last month for the donation.
The State-run KR Hospital, attached to the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI), has been apparently getting many enquiries on the issue. However, with no clarity on under which fund the incentive can be provided with no ;official’ communication in this regard, the doctors were unable to give a definite reply to the prospective donors.
A message was circulated in a Whatsapp group urging the COVID warriors and patients who had recovered and stayed at home for the last two weeks, to donate plasma for saving the lives of critically ill patients. Such persons were asked to contact the blood bank of KR Hospital if they are keen to donate.
Sources told The Hindu that two to three donors had approached the blood bank and sought to know about the incentive. “They (recovered patients) said they will donate only if they get the incentive. With no communication to the MMCRI from the official channels, the staff told them they would be informed later and so they went away,” the sources add.
A senior MMCRI doctor said, “There’s no provision to provide an incentive from the college or hospital fund. There have been many inquiries about the incentive but we weren’t certain on under which head the amount can be paid. There are also talks about giving the incentive under the SDRF fund but there’s no official word at all.”
Much before the government’s announcement, three patients approached the blood bank here to donate plasma. However, the plasma of only one patient could be taken; the other two patients could not be declared ‘fit’ for the donation.
In Mysuru, 2,230 patients had been discharged till Tuesday. Not all of them would be suitable to donate plasma and the donor was selected after he or she cleared various parameters and tests. “The entire process of donating blood for plasma separation would take about two hours and the separated plasma of the patient has to be used within four weeks from the date of donation,” said a doctor, who is familiar with the procedure.
Twelve COVID-19 patients are in ICU in Mysuru and no plasma therapy on critically-ill patients has been done here so far. “The results of plasma therapy vary from patient to patient and the efficacy of the procedure on the patient cannot be predicted,” he explained.
