By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Four months after the project was mooted, NEIGRIHMS is yet to set up plasma bank for healing the COVID patients. No fault of NEIGRIHMs, but the proposal has been pending with the Drug Control General of India for its all-important clearance.
NEIGRIHMS Director, Dr P Bhattacharya said that the institute has been continuously pursuing the matter with Drug Control General of India to expedite the matter.
“Their only reply when we inquire is that the proposal is under process,” the Director said on Saturday, adding that the licensing authority from Guwahati had come and inspected the proposed plasma bank.
It may be mentioned that hundreds of the BSF personnel in Meghalaya who have recovered after getting infected with COVID-19 are ready at any time to give their plasma but the state till date does not have a plasma bank of its own.
Earlier even the Opposition had slammed the State Government for not being able to set up its own plasma bank.
Earlier, the Meghalaya High Court had also sought a response from the State government in this regard.
It may be mentioned that A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) — the country’s apex medical body — has found that convalescent plasma therapy (CP) as a treatment for Covid-19 has no effect on reducing the disease’s mortality.