An NGO roped in for counselling and encouraging recovered patients
PANAJI
State government is expected to convene a meeting with the MLAs representing the notified containment zone areas, across party lines, so that they can pass on the appeal to recovered patients to donate plasma.
Till date 36 packets of plasma have been received with more than 60 per cent Covid-19 patients, who were administered plasma therapy, recovering from the dreaded infection.
Following a review meeting of the expert committee, Health Minister Vishwajit stated, “I have sent a note to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant that we need to take this up on a state-level platform, leaving politics at the sideline. CM will give time next week and convene a meeting with the concerned MLAs of containment zone areas. Through these MLAs we will appeal to people to come forward and donate plasma.”
Rane said that the Health Department wants to ensure that plasma donations are received from not only those who have been discharged from Covid facilities but also from those who have recovered under home isolation.
He informed that Sanjivani, an NGO, has been roped in for counselling recovered patients and to encourage them to donate plasma. A newsletter will also be unveiled in the coming days under the slogan “Donate plasma, save lives”.
“Plasma donation will not affect the donor in any way. We have an apheresis machine. GMC checks all parameters. Become more than Covid Survivor and become a Covid Savior,” Rane said.
He further informed that the concerned units of Rotary International and every other organisation willing to join hands in the drive for securing plasma donations will also be roped in.
Dean of Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim Dr S M Bandekar stated that while the present requirement is of at least 25 packets of plasma, the Health Department is receiving only four or five donors per day.
To encourage plasma donation, two people namely Derek Coelho and Sayed Hassan, who have donated plasma and saved two lives, were honoured at the hands of the Health Minister Rane and Health Secretary Nila Mohanan.
The blood bank at GMC has the capacity to store around 2,000 packets of plasma. “From Monday, we are expecting to receive at least 10 to 25 donors per day,” Dr Bandekar appealed.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that ESI Covid Hospital at Margao and two private hospitals handling Covid patients are almost full. “The only problem with our facility in Goa Medical College is that we don’t have as many private rooms. People generally prefer a private set up because of the room factor. But there also, there is no space, either in Manipal Hospital or in Victor Apollo Hospital in Margao. Asa result, the whole load is on government facilities and we will take it as best as we can,” Rane stated.
Apollo Victor Hospital in Margao has 100 Covid beds, the government has around 600 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients.
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We don't charge for plasma from GMC: Manipal officials
PANAJI: Manipal Hospital management has confirmed that it does charge when plasma is brought from Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim and also that the hospital has not acquired any ventilators from the Health Department to treat Covid patients admitted therein.
Dr Shekhar Salkar, a senior oncology consultant at Manipal Hospital, has informed that the hospital does not charge Covid-19 patients for plasma therapy if the plasma packet utilised for the therapy has been received for free from Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim. The hospital charges for the plasma drawn at the hospital's blood bank,
“I have confirmed with our management. We are not charging when plasma is brought from GMC. As of now, we have given three plasma packets from the blood bank and we have received two from GMC. We have not taken any ventilators from the government as of now but the government has permitted us to take ventilators as and when the need arises,” Dr Salkar has stated.
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Vishwajit: Flouting of norms during fest spiked cases
PANAJI: Health Minister Vishwajt Rane has claimed that flouting of safety protocols during the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi has resulted in the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in Goa.
“I had requested people to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home within the family. Don’t roam around visiting others. People flouted these protocols. Without wearing masks crowds numbering in 100 to 150 gathered and now Covid-19 cases have spiked,” he stated.
