Meghalaya: NEIGRIHMS to set up plasma bank for COVID-19 treatment
SHILLONG | AUG 04, 2020:
The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) will soon set up the plasma bank to treat novel coronavirus patients in Meghalaya.
NEIGRIHMS Medical Superintendent (MS), Dr. Noor Topno today said, "We are hopeful that within a week we will be able to start collecting the plasma from the patients who have already recovered from COVID-19. We will use the plasma to treat patients who are still suffering from the novel coronavirus."
While informing that they are in touch with the Government on the setting up of the plasma bank in NEIGRIHMS, Dr. Topno said that the machines for the plasma bank have already arrived at the Medical Institute.
"The engineers will install the machines in a day or two. Once the machines are commissioned, the training process will happen. We will also have to complete the licensing process," said the MS adding that the delay in the licensing process was due to the problem of inter-State travel.
ALSO READ:
According to Dr. Topno, the donor should be somebody who has suffered and recovered from COVID-19 infection and the donation should happen within a specific time.
"The machine we have at present is a little different. It will collect only the plasma from the donor and not the Red Blood Cells (RBCs)," said the Medical official.
Explaining the difference between blood donation and plasma donation, Dr. Topno said, in a blood bank, we take the blood from the patient and separate the RBCs from the plasma while in the plasma bank, only the plasma is collected.
Earlier on Monday, Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong had informed that the State Government is in close consultation with the NEIGRIHMS authorities on the creation of the plasma bank to treat novel coronavirus.
"The consultation in this connection is still on. We will take a final on this matter once the process is completed," Tynsong had stated.
