On June 29, 2020 Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched world’s largest convalescent plasma therapy-cum-trial project, ‘Platina’ to treat COVID-19 patients, through video conference at Nagpur’s government medical college.
Key Info
- It will benefit 500 lives of critically ill COVID-19 patients in the state.
- Rs 16.65 crore is allocated for this project from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
- He also inaugurated 4 other services namely; plasma donation, plasma bank, plasma trial, and emergency authorisation at the college.
Major Highlights about the project
i.The trial- treatment of plasma therapy will be free of cost, in 17 medical colleges under the department of medical education and drugs, and four medical colleges under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation with 21 centres.
ii.The critical patients will receive two doses of 200 ml convalescent plasma.
iii.This therapy will create an infrastructure of plasmapheresis in all medical colleges in various districts of the state.
iv.The state plans to take this study further and isolate MONOCLONAL antibodies developed against COVID (virus) from plasma.
v.The project is solely a government-sponsored trial and no private or financial involvement from any company is involved.
What is Convalescent plasma therapy?
The plasma will be obtained from the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19. The blood is injected into patients undergoing treatment.
What is Plasmapheresis?
It is a process in which the liquid part of the blood, or plasma, is separated from the blood cells. Generally, the plasma is replaced with another solution like saline or albumin, or the plasma is treated and then returned to the body.
About Maharashtra:
Capital– Mumbai
Governor– Bhagat Singh Koshyari
