In 20 days, 76 persons who recovered from COVID-19 donated plasma at the bank in the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), and it was transfused to 89 patients.
On Thursday, 40 police personnel, who had also recovered, donated plasma at the bank, according to Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar.
“South India’s first plasma bank was set up at a cost of ₹2.34 crore at RGGGH. A total of 76 persons donated plasma, and it was transfused to 89 patients,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Till now, 70 persons with moderate symptoms have recovered after receiving convalescent plasma therapy, while seven were treated with plasma in Madurai.
The Minister said over 2.5 lakh persons had recovered from COVID-19 in the State, and asked them to come forward to donate plasma.
Chennai’s recovery rate stood at 88%, while it was 81% for the State, he added.
Public movement
With 40 eligible police personnel donating plasma, Dr. Vijayabaskar said this could be utilised for saving 80 patients.
“Plasma donation should become a public movement,” he said.
When one person donates 500 ml of plasma, it can save two lives. The person can donate again after 14 days, he added.
The Indian Council of Medical Research has granted approval for plasma banks in Chennai, Madurai and Tirunelveli. Apart from this, equipment is being readied for installation in six medical colleges for plasma donations. The Minister said Tamil Nadu was at the forefront of plasma donation and therapy in the country.
Police Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal said a total of 1,920 police officers and personnel had tested positive in the city. Of this, 1,549 had recovered.
‘Don’t ignore symptoms’
Dr. Vijayabaskar told people not to ignore fever for even a day.
“We are receiving patients at the last minute with breathlessness. They say they had no symptoms, but had fever for a day a week ago. Fatigue, loss of smell and loss of taste are also symptoms of COVID-19. If patients come early, before the lungs are involved, they can recover,” he said.
He added that strategies of aggressive testing, early diagnosis, micro-planning and fever camps were being followed in districts such as Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur to bring down the spread.
Noting that the case trend had declined in Madurai, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said Theni, Coimbatore and Cuddalore were among the focus areas.
