Donate plasma, save Covid-19 patients: Eatala Rajender

HYDERABAD: With many people taking to social media seeking

plasma donors

, health minister

Eatala Rajender

on Thursday requested recovered

Covid-19

patients to come forward and donate

plasma

to the ones undergoing treatment. Officials have responded to requests after a few volunteers as well as

health experts

raised the issue of lack of donors, limiting the use of the treatment.

On Thursday, health minister Rajender tweeted, “Requesting #COVID19 recovered patients to please come and donate #Plasma and save covid patients (sic).” Also, in a response to the request of Akhil Ennamasetty, the first plasma donor in Telangana who tweeted saying there were hundreds of plasma donor requests pouring in everyday from Hyderabad, governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan responded, “Plasma bank with adequate antibodies out of large pool of recovered non-infectious patients being explored under discussion.” Akhil also wrote to the government to set up a dedicated task force to cater to needs of donors and Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, doctors, who were treating Covid-19 patients, reiterated the importance of plasma donors in order to help those who undergoing treatment. “Plasma therapy is needed for those who develop anti-bodies against Covid-19. It is important that we have enough donors because the plasma, which is donated by the survivors of Covid-19, can help patients whose immune system is compromised and those who are critically ill,” Dr Arjun Raj, general secretary, Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association, Gandhi Hospital, said. Experts also reiterated the need for creating a platform exclusively for this purpose, where donors and recipients could coordinate.