KURNOOL: Kurnool district has collected most plasma samples from people who recovered from the coronavirus. At a time when the authorities here have collected 60 plasma samples, the combined figure in the remaining 12 districts is less than 20. At least 240 people have given their willingness to donate for the sake of plasma therapy. Interestingly, two have donated the blood component thrice. With the collected plasma, doctors at the Kurnool government general hospital administered plasma therapy to 31 severely-ill patients, out of which 27 fully recovered.
“The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has permitted only Kurnool GGH and Tirupati SVIMS to collect plasma. However, as per the directions of the state government, almost all blood banks functioning under district government hospitals are to collect plasma from recovered patients,” an official in the know said.
The district has a recovery rate of 81.65 per cent, the highest in the state, as 31,711 out of 38,835 people who tested positive till now, have been discharged from hospitals and Covid care centres, leaving 6,789 active cases after 335 deaths.
Collector G Veerapandian had launched plasma collection wing at the GGH blood bank on May 12; the first donors were two doctors. Later, the district administration formed three separate teams led by Setkur chief executive officer T Nagaraju Naidu to create awareness among people about plasma donation.
Setkur or Society for Employment and Training Kurnool is a government body engaged in youth welfare activities.
Explaining the criteria a donor should meet, blood bank officer Dr M Srinivasulu said: “As per Covid norms, only people who recovered from the disease, are in the 18-60 age group and have a minimum weight of 55 kg are eligible. Pregnant women are not eligible as they develop certain antibodies. Only a person with 40 per cent or above of antibodies to be used in Covid treatment are allowed to donate plasma.”
He said he personally calls 100 people a day requesting them to volunteer. “A recovered patient can start donating four weeks after his diagnosis. He/she can donate for four months after recovery if they are keeping fit.” Nagaraju Naidu said his teams found as many as 5,000 people eligible for plasma donation, and approached 4,000 of them in the past two-and-a-half months.
On the other hand, Spandana Suresh, public relations officer for the GGH and also state general secretary of Jana Vignana Vedika, has been organising awareness campaigns for Covid patients. He took up the initiative after recovering from the disease.
As part of his campaigns, he meets patients quarantined at care centres, and also those whose are expected to be discharged soon. Suresh educates them about plasma donation, and the impact it can have to reduce the fatality rate. “I was diagnosed with the virus after working at the Covid wards for four months. It is as much my social responsibility to help the government in reducing the death rate,” Suresh observed.
Dist Has highest recovery rate, 6.7K active cases remain
Doctors at the Kurnool government general hospital have, so far, administered plasma therapy to 31 severely-ill patients; 27 of them fully recovered. At least 240 people in the district have expressed their willingness to donate for the sake of plasma therapy. The district has a recovery rate of 81.65 per cent, the highest in the state, as 31,711 out of 38,835 people who tested positive till now, have been discharged from hospitals and Covid care centres, leaving 6,789 active cases after 335 deaths.