Can Meghalaya justify two plasma banks?

SHILLONG: Nearly five months after COVID infections began, the state government’s sudden attempt to create two plasma banks in state capital is intriguing.
After a petition was filed by a discerning lawyer in the High Court, almost as a knee jerk response the government has stepped up effort to create two such banks — at NEIGRIHMS and Pasteur Institute — seemingly without much justification.
For one, there are far too few “recovered patients” available locally. So far, over 250 such patients can be potential donors of antibody. But the critical question that knowledgeable circles are raising is that out of these 250 recovered patients, how many would actually qualify to be donors?
According to the SOP in promulgation, a recovered patient’s antibody remains at the optimum level for 28 days only. The antibody level in a recovered patient begins to weaken after 28 days and therefore they are rendered ineligible. By the time the proposed plasma banks are put in place, the number of eligible “recovered patients” in the state will get drastically reduced by almost 75%, considering that a majority of the COVID recoveries took place in the months of April, May and June.
This would leave only a handful of them available for donating their plasma, unless there is a big spike in new cases on the morrow.
This vital technical aspect seems to have eluded the government.
These informed circles are of the opinion that the government should opt for only one plasma bank at NEIGRIHMS instead of two.
Meanwhile, NEIGRIHMS is bracing for starting the collection of plasma from recovered patients within a week’s time.
NEIGRIHMS Medical Superintendent, Dr. Noor Topno informed that the machines for the plasma bank have already arrived and once the commissioning of the machine it done, the training process will begin.
“We will also have to complete the licensing process. The delay in the licensing process is due to the problem of inter-state travel,” he informed.