Panaji: Despite required infrastructure in place, Goa government is yet to start plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients as there are some more procedures are yet to be fulfilled, a senior official said.
State Health Secretary Neela Mohanan told reporters on Friday that the state government is yet to start plasma therapy treatment to COVID-19 patients as “there are few more procedures are left to be fulfilled.”
She confirmed that 15 to 20 donors have already donated their plasma to start the treatment for those who are currently suffering from the virus.
According to the therapy, the plasma of a person who have recovered from infection is derived, which is used to treat a patient who is currently infected.
State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had set up a deadline of last week for the treatment to start.
Goa Medical College and Hospital, which has all the infrastructure required to store the plasma, had also purchased apheresis machine required for the cause.
Mohanan said that once treatment starts, it would be call of a doctor at ESI hospital which patient to be given the therapy.
Meanwhile,the Health secretary agreed that the pendency of the tests is piling up every passing day.
As per the data on Friday, more than 5,000 samples were awaiting to be tested.
Mohanan said that with the number of COVID-19 infections on rise and more containment zones being marked, the number of samples drawn has increased.
She said that ‘Arogya Setu’ App is also used to approach the people to get themselves tested, if they are found to be prone for infection.
“We are taking all necessary measures to see that governmet run labs are operating 24 by 7.. Health department is fully on the job,” she said.
Responding to a question, the health secretary said that right now there is no need of new COVID hospital in addition to the one existing at Margao.
“The occupancy of the existing hospital is below 50 per cent,” the health secretary said.