Karnataka Gov’t with COVID India Campaign launches maiden plasma bank

Karnataka Deputy CM C.N. Ashwathnarayan on July 21 inaugurated state’s maiden plasma bank at HCG Hospital, Bengaluru as a part of Mission COPE (Covid Plasma Endeavour).

The state government in association with HCG Hospital and COVID India Campaign has launched Mission COPE to control the spread of COVID-19 and to promote plasma donation among the recovered patients.

Currently, there are only 4 to 5 plasma banks in India and the first was launched in New Delhi in early July 2020. The latest state to launch the plasma bank was Odisha.

Inaugurated Karnataka's first Plasma Bank - MISSION COPE ( Covid Plasma Endeavour) created in collaboration with @HCGCancercare .

The plasma treatment protocol and online registry will help doctors identify #COVID19 patients with severe symptoms & treat them on priority. pic.twitter.com/bgKGBz5yNq

— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) July 21, 2020

Why Plasma Bank is essential for Karnataka?

Regional Director, HCG Global, Dr. Vishal Rao during the launch mentioned that there has been a consistent spike in the cases of COVID-19 in Bengaluru and to combat the spread of the virus we need to strengthen the fight against it.

He added that Plasma Therapy has been showing encouraging results in clinical trial settings, especially in critical cases. We need more people to donate plasma who have recovered from the infection so that the innocent lives can be saved.

Director, ICATT Foundation, Dr. Shalini Nalwad further added that in the current scenario when we are up against the disease with no vaccine or drugs, there has to be an essential call for conversations and key collaborations. Over the last few weeks, many doctors have also come forward to counsel the patients, who have recovered from the virus, to donate plasma under the campaign.

About Mission COPE:

COVID India Campaign with support from the ICATT foundation has launched Mission Cope with an aim to promote plasma donation among the COVID-19 recovered patients.

The campaign is headed by Director of ICATT Foundation, Dr. Shalini Nalwad, and Swadeep Pillarisetti, who is her fellow founder volunteer at the COVID India Campaign.

Several celebrities and hospitals have also come forward and have pledged their support for this timely campaign.