Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday inaugurated the Covid Plasma Bank for treatment of serious Covid patients at SCB Medical College, Cuttack. With this, Odisha joins a select club of very few states who have introduced Convalescent Plasma Therapy for the treatment of serious Covid patients. Odisha is the third state besides Delhi and Maharastra to start this procedure.
Inaugurating the facility, Patnaik reiterated his govt’s commitment to provide advanced medical care and treatment to the people of Odisha.
The chief minister said, ‘For me and my govt, life of every person is precious and the State would do everything possible to save lives of our people. I would like to announce that Plasma Therapy will be made available free of cost to the people of Odisha.’
He further assured that his government is committed to provide highest standards of medical care and treatment procedures for the people of the State. No person in Odisha would be deprived of access to latest medical technology. This is a solemn commitment of this Government, the chief minister added.
Appreciating the work of doctors the chief minister said that our doctors and medical personnel are working hard to provide their best in serving the people in these difficult Covid times. We need to encourage and boost their morale, he stressed.
The chief minister congratulated the four brave donors who volunteered to contribute their invaluable Plasma today and appeal to all eligible Covid survivors to come forward to donate their Plasma which will go a long way in helping the treatment of serious Covid patients.
The health minister Naba Das expressed the hope that this Plasma therapy will be very useful in successful treatment of serious Covid patients.
Additionsl chief secretary P.K. Mohapatra gave the welcome address and principal of SCB Medical College proposed vote of thanks.
It may be noted here that Pankaj Kumar Behera, Dr. Chid Bhusan Panda, Manoj Kumar Baral and Abinash Rout are the first four plasma donors of Odisha. Twelve more cured Covid patients including Salepur MLA Prasanta Behera have also come forward to join the mission and donate their plasma.
While SCB Medical College will be the nodal agency for Plasma Therapy, the SUM Hospital, KIIMS Hospital both in Bhubaneswar and Aswini Hospital, Cuttack will provide Plasma Therapy treatment.
Odisha Skill Development Authority chairman Subrato Bagchi, chief we Asit Tripathy Chief Advisor CMO R Balakrishnan, development commission Suresh Mohapatre, SRC PK Jena, Labour & ESI principal secretary Anu Garg, secretary ET&IT Manoj Mishra, professors and doctors of SCB Medical College attended the function.
