Nalasopara plasma bank first private in Mumbai metropolitan region to find donor

MUMBAI: A plasma bank in Nalasopara became the first standalone facility in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and perhaps the state to arrange for a donor and supply the blood product to a critically ill-patient on Wednesday. The entry of the independent plasma bank though has brought forth the issue of pricing, something that continues to be a grey area. Sathiya Trust Blood Bank, Nalasopara, has fixed the higher charges at Rs 20,000.

Convalescent plasma therapy has been largely restricted to clinical trials and despite permission for emergency use outside of trial on June 13, confusion over collection and banking has prevailed.Sathiya Bank succeeded in convincing 45-yearold Bhushan Vartak, a resident of Vasaigaon and government employee, to donate plasma. “The first dose has even been injected in a serious Covid-19 patient in Vasai and we hope he recovers soon,” said the blood bank’s chairperson, Vijay Mahajan.
Plasma therapy is being trialled as a treatment for moderate and serious Covid-19 patients through a pan-India and pan-Maharashtra trial. Recovered patients have antibodies in their plasma that can help current patients fight the virus. The bank has begun approaching recovered patients in the Vasai-Virar region and Palghar district.
But the plasma is not free. For patients being treated at Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation’s registered Covid-19 hospitals, a 200ml plasma will cost Rs 15,000. For private hospitals, it will cost Rs 20,000 for 200ml. The donor gets an appreciation card and a Rs 2,000 discount that can be redeemed for plasma (for self, family, contact) within a year of donation.
Mahajan said there is no cap on pricing of plasma. He said this is the first individual blood bank that has begun plasma donation. Officials from the State Blood Transfusion Council said that while blood products can’t be sold, there is a processing fee. “However, since convalescent plasma is new, nothing has been fixed so far,” the official said.
Palghar collector Dr Kailash Shinde reiterated that expenses of Covid patients admitted in government/civic hospitals will be borne by the government. He is likely to visit the blood bank later this week. He said Wednesday’s recipient is admitted in a civic hospital and though his family paid for the plasma, the cost would be later refunded by the government. But, he said, patients admitted in private hospitals will have to bear plasma costs.