Covid-19 plasma from first plasma bank in Uttar Pradesh costs Rs 10,500

NEW DELHI, Jul 26, 2020, Financial Express. As the number of coronavirus infections in Uttar Pradesh crossed 60,000, the state on Saturday got its first plasma bank. Plasma therapy is one of the methods presently in use to treat COVID-19 patients in the country, Financial Express reported.

The first plasma bank in Uttar Pradesh, sanctioned by the government, was set up at the Rotary Noida Blood Bank in Sector 31. Atul Garg, state minister, medical and health, family welfare maternal and child welfare department, Uttar Pradesh, inaugurated the plasma bank. Gautam Buddha Nagar’s district magistrate Suhas LY and other senior officials were also present during the inauguration.

To get plasma for a COVID-19 patient, people need to pay Rs 10,500, citing officials, The Indian Express reported. And, government employees from the region need to shell out Rs 4,500 for plasma and will be charged by the hospital directly, the report added.

However, “the cost of plasma has been waived for pregnant women and those with BPL cards,” said Suhas LY, DM Gautam Budha Nagar, as reported by The Indian Express.

According to media reports, the plasma bank at Noida has a storage capacity of 10,000 units of 200 ml each. And, the bank has got its first three units of plasma donated by the Rotary club members who have completely recovered from coronavirus and are fit to donate the convalescent plasma.

Gautam Buddha Nagar is one of the most affected districts in the state. The district still has nearly 900 active COVID-19 cases, while 3,700 patients have been recovered/discharged from the hospitals as of July 25, according to data from the health department. The district so far has seen 40 fatalities linked to coronavirus complications.

The plasma bank at Noida is also the first such bank to be set up in a non-COVID hospital and it is the first dedicated plasma bank in the entire Uttar Pradesh. UP is among the few states which have been reporting higher coronavirus cases in the past few weeks. As of 26 July, UP has reported 60,771 COVID-19 cases and 1,348 deaths due to coronavirus. The state still has 21,711 active cases, while 37,712 patients have been recovered from the disease.