(Image source from: indianexpress.com)

Plasma will be provided to private hospitals from government’s plasma bank at Rs.20,000 per unit.

After a plasma bank was set up government at Patiala hospital, the private hospitals have been demanding plasma as it has become a necessity in these challenging times.

Heeding to this, Punjab government on Sunday said that plasma would be provided to critical COVID-19 patients at government hospitals at free of cost and for private hospitals at Rs. 20,000 per unit plasma.

Information and Public Relations department in Punjab further stated that the move was finalized after an extensive deliberation with experts in the medical field.

The plasma will be taken from the COVID-19 recovered patients who are tested negative for the virus. This plasma when injected into a critical patient suffering with the virus can alleviate the symptoms and make the recovery process fast.

However, plasma will not work for patients already on their death bed. Already, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have set up their plasma banks and have been urging recovered patients to donate their plasma and help the needy.

Recently, Karnataka government has announced that it would give Rs. 5000 as a token of gratitude to everyone who donates the plasma at the hospitals.

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Allegedly, private hospitals in Punjab have demanded plasma after the plasma bank was recently set up at Patiala hospital.

At present, in Punjab there are 4096 COVID-19 active cases with 291 deaths registered as on Sunday, July 26. However, 12,684 people have recovered from the coronavirus.

India has been witnessing huge spike in daily coronavirus and has reached to 14 lakh cases from 13 lakhs in just 2 days, marking the highest coronavirus cases jump by India since March.

The country’s coronavirus tally has reached 14,40,000 cases as on Monday and 849,431 people have recovered from the deadly virus. At present, there are above 450,000 active cases in India.

The death toll has risen to 31,358 with about 700 deaths reported just on Sunday.

The need for plasma is growing rapidly in the country as every state in the country is witnessing large number of positive cases on a daily basis. However, the death rate of coronavirus infected people has fallen in the country and is now 2.86% which is very low when compared to the US and Brazil and many other countries.

Meanwhile, India is all set to implement unlock 3.0 in which cinema theatres and gyms are expected to reopen. The vaccine for coronavirus in the country is still under trials and medical experts and experts from WHO claim that the country cannot expect the vaccine till the year end or by next year.

By Gayatri Yellayi