Ashwini Choubey, Minister
of State for Health, on Sunday said that states have taken initiative to
establish plasma banks to provide plasma therapy to COVID-19 patients. However,
no central database of such banks is maintained, Choubey added.

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He was responding to a
question on the total number of plasma banks running at present to provide
plasma therapy to the COVID-19 patients in the country state-wise and if the
government proposes to set up more plasma banks to cope with disease in the
country.

“Convalescent
plasma therapy has not been recommended by the Ministry of Health as a mainstay
of therapy and there is no proposal under consideration of Ministry of Health
to set up plasma banks for providing COVID-19 therapy.

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“States, however, with a view to ensure
availability of plasma, in case needed, have taken initiative to establish such
banks in certain banks. No central database of such banks is maintained,”
he clarified.

Convalescent Plasma
therapy has been included in the Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 as
an investigational therapy for use in a defined subgroup of patients only,
Choubey underlined.

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Use of this therapy
may be considered in patients with moderate disease who are not improving by
use of other mainstay therapies like oxygen supplementation, steroids, etc
under strict medical supervision.