Staff Reporter
NAHARLAGUN, Oct 15: The apheresis machine at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) here was made functional on Thursday.
The machine is used for receiving blood from a patient’s or a donor’s body and separating it into its various components: plasma, platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells.
The machine will help collect plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients, which will be administered to those who are critically ill.
Health Minister Alo Libang, who earlier inaugurated the machine in the presence of TRIHMS Director Dr Moji Jini, Health Services Director Dr M Lego and other officials and staffers, informed that the health department is in the process of seeking permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for starting the process of plasma collection.
“The hospital needs to have permission from the ICMR. However, the hospital could start collecting plasma from today,” he informed.
The minister further stated that, in view the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the state, the health department has decided to place more of its manpower at the ground level to fight the pandemic.
“The number of Covid-19 patients may increase in the coming months, so we have decided to pull back our staffers who are on duty at various check gates,” he informed.
The minister appealed to the people to strictly follow all the Covid-19-related standard operating procedures in order to check the growing rate of infection in state and save lives.
Dr Jini informed that around 70 of the hospital’s staffers who have recovered from Covid-19 infection and are in good health are going to voluntarily donate their plasma for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
He, however, stated that not all patients need plasma therapy.
“Only those patients who are critically ill need it. Also, many conditions have to be met before one can donate plasma for Covid-19 patients. The donor needs to be completely recovered from Covid-19 infection and should be of a healthy weight,” he said.
