Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has announced that plasma will be provided free-of-cost by the state government to all the COVID-19 patients who are in need of it. He has given orders to the State Health Department that coronavirus patients must not get charged for plasma therapy while also ensuring that the purchase or sale of plasma is not allowed.
In an official statement, CM Amarinder Singh urged cured COVID-19 patients to come forward and donate their plasma, which has proven to be a life-saver in several instances considering no cure for the disease has yet been found. During a COVID management review meeting, he directed his deputy commissioners including officials from the Health Department to spread the positive word of plasma therapy and appeal to those cured to come forward in donating. Punjab has recorded nearly 10,000 patients who have recovered from coronavirus, he said, while adding that it is his government's responsibility to ensure that all lives in the state are saved.
The CM has now instructed the Health Department to speed up the process of setting up two new plasma banks in Amritsar and Faridkot as a means of support to the one currently under operation in Patiala. Medical Education Minister OP Soni has already informed the CM about tenders for the new plasma banks that are already being floated for acquiring equipment.
Mr Singh also stated that he has discussed with the State Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu in regard to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases. The main purpose of their discussion was to send a proposal to set aside 10 beds in all district hospitals for the treatment of those experiencing mild symptoms of the infection. A proposal for such a facility in all hospitals in the state had earlier already been given by the minister.
All DCs in the state have been told to make sure proper care in the tertiary medical facilities is given for highly sick patients. The Chief Minister has also informed them to closely work with the nodal officers who have been appointed to coordinate the spread of the disease in five districts with the highest number of COVID-19 cases. Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan recommended that all the field officers, among whom include the DCs and SSPs, must be present at their headquarter towns at all times for the period of next two months, including at nights. Punjab has to date recorded 15,456 coronavirus cases, with 370 deaths linked to the disease.