Plasma Therapy treatment of COVID-19 patients from next week: Vishwajit Rane
Panaji: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday said that the plasma therapy treatment on COVID-19 patients will start in the state from next week onwards.
Rane said that the state government has already sanctioned the money required to procure the necessary machine required for plasma therapy.
“The plasma therapy treatment will start in Goa from next week onwards,” he said.
Goa has reported 1903 COVID-19 positive cases till Tuesday evening in the state with eight deaths.
The minister said that as on Wednesday, there are 106 COVID-19 symptomatic patients admitted in ESI hospital at Margao, who are being given the best treatment.
The minister said that state run Goa Medical College and Hospital has been given the responsibility of plasma collection from the people who have recovered from COVID-19.
“I have been following the issue of introducing plasma therapy in the state from last one month. We have all the infrastructure required to store plasma,” he said.
“We will start plasma therapy for serious patients. I have spoken to the patients from delhi who had taken plasma therapy, they have recovered, to know their experience” he said.
Rane clarified that only GMCH will be allowed to have plasma therapy treatment in the state.
He ruled out that there is shortage of beds, claiming that those who were asymptomatic are already moved to covidcare centres set up across the state.
“There are beds available in ESI hospital and if require, we can have second such hospital in the state,” he said.
“We are taking up latest methods of treatment for COVID-19 patients,” he said.
In yet another announcement, Rane said that his department has already moved a file to the government to explore the possibility of outsourcing some services like food supply to private parties.
“We can’t load the existing government infrastructure to look after covidcare centres. We will have to see how much cost it will incur, if we engage private player in handling these centres. This will help in better management of covidcare centres,”he said.
