Plasma bank appeals for donors after stocks run out

It has been receiving 25 to 50 calls a day from patients including those from other States

The State’s first plasma bank exhausted all its stock on Friday. Authorities at the HCG Plasma Bank have now appealed to people who recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma, which can then be administered to patients who are undergoing treatment.

U.S. Vishal Rao, who heads the State-supported HCG Plasma Bank said they were urgently looking for plasma for a few critical patients. “I have sent messages to people asking them to put us in touch with people who might be willing to donate. Many of our earlier donors do not have antibodies and will not be able to donate. So we are desperately hoping for new donors to come forward,” he said.

He added that they were receiving 25 to 50 calls a day from patients including those from other States. At a recent meeting with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Dr. Rao highlighted the need to devise a campaign to encourage more donors to come forward. The State government as an incentive had decided to give ₹5,000 if recovered patients were willing to donate their plasma.

Last year, 1,200 units of plasma from the bank was used and the therapy was successful in over 60% of the beneficiaries, Dr. Rao added.