Coronavirus: Punjab’s first plasma bank at Patiala hospital struggles to find donors

Karam Prakash
Tribune news service
Patiala, July 25

The state’s first plasma bank at Patiala’s Government Rajindra Hospital has found only five donors in the four days since it has opened.

As Punjab’s coronavirus numbers continue to swell—the state has recorded has recorded 7,116 cases this month alone, taking its cases to 12,684—authorities at Patiala’s Government Rajindra Hospital are finding it difficult to convince potential donors. Health authorities attribute this primarily to a lack of motivation, spurred orimarily because of low awareness.

Government Medical College (GMC) Principal Dr Harjinder Singh said: “The number of people coming to donate plasma is low primarily because of lack of motivation. Our doctors are trying their best to convince recovered patients to come forward to help the society”.

He said health authorities were trying to rope in Nongovernment organisations already working on blood donation to help.

“We will share the data base of recovered patients with the NGOs to motivate the recovered patients,” added Harjinder.

But lack of will isn’t the only challenge to plasma donation that doctors are facing: doctors at Rajindra Hospital claim that only 50 per cent of those people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have agreed to plasma donation have developed antibodies, further narrowing their already small volunteers’ list.    

A patient who recently donated his plasma said people should come forward to donate “in the larger interest of society”.

“It is a simple one hour process. People should not be afraid to donate plasma. It is 100 percent safe. I appeal to other recovered patients to help society in the fight against coronavirus,” he said.