India / Govt to pay for plasma therapy of critical COVID-19 patients: Gehlot

Jaipur: Rajasthan will provide the life-saving injection, Tocilizumab, and plasma therapy to every critical patient of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the state, chief minister Ashok Gehlot has said.

Gehlot said on Sunday since the injection worth about Rs 40,000 is out of reach of the poor, the health department must ensure its availability for any needy patient. The state government will immediately sanction adequate funds, he added.

The chief minister announced the decision during the review meeting on the status of coronavirus pandemic in the state.

He said plasma therapy and Tocilizumab injection can save the life of a serious Covid-19 patient, which has been successfully used in Jaipur’s SMS Hospital.

The chief minister directed officers to ensure availability of plasma therapy and life-saving injections as per the requirement in all medical colleges and district hospitals of the state along with SMS Hospital.

Gehlot said that in areas where the number of infected has increased, specialist doctors should be sent to help local doctors for better treatment of the patients.

Covid-19 patients admitted for examination or treatment in private hospitals should be regularly and intensively monitored by the district medical and health officers, he said.

The chief minister also directed officials to encourage plasma therapy in the treatment of patients and to organise a plasma donation camp across the state. He said those who have recovered from the viral disease should be encouraged to donate plasma as per the health protocol by campaigning on the lines of blood donation camps.

He asked health authorities to make arrangement for the availability of plasma needed for the therapy in medical banks. For this, awareness campaigns and donation camps should be set up, he said.

Officials said plasma therapy has been started in Jaipur as well as Jodhpur and Kota.

Gehlot said at the meeting that random sampling should be done to test the status of community infection.

Expert doctors participating in the meeting through video conference said the case fatality rate (CFR) in the state is 1.72, which is lower than the national average.

Officials also said that there are about 17,000 people in the state who are in institutional quarantine and being monitored.