Delhi govt directs hospitals to appoint nodal officers for plasma requisition

Hospitals in Delhi have been directed to appoint nodal officers for requisition, coordination and issuance of plasma from the 'plasma bank' recently set up at a state-run facility here, officials said.

Delhi Chief Arvind Kejriwal on July 2 had inaugurated a first-of-its-kind 'plasma bank' at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) for the benefit of COVID-19 patients and urged those who have recovered from this disease to donate plasma for other patients.

Principal Health Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, in an order issued on Wednesday, directed all hospitals in Delhi -- government and private -- to appoint a nodal person to coordinate with the 'plasma bank' at the ILBS.

"For the sake of coordination, requisition and issuance of convalescent plasma from ILBS for treating eligible sick COVID patients, all the MS (medical superintendent)/ in-charge of hospitals in government sector and private/corporate sector are required to nominate a nodal officer from their respective hospitals," the order said.

The July 8 order also stated that plasma would be issued on a first come, first served basis subject to availability, with the understanding that there would be "no commercial usage" and it would be made available to the patient "free of cost".

It also said, "The nodal officer/hospital requisitioning COPLA (convalescent plasma) will be required to provide voluntary plasma donor, including replacement donors keeping in view the projected requirement of COPLA and scarce availability of the meagre resource."