Noida police starts helpline for plasma donation as COVID-19 situation worsens

Noida: Amid the worsening COVID-19 situation, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police in Uttar Pradesh has launched an initiative for facilitating plasma for coronavirus patients, according to officials.

Plasma therapy involves taking antibodies from the blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 and transfusing those into a coronavirus-infected patient to help kick-start the immune system to fight the infection.

The police commissionerate has launched a helpline number – 8851066433 – to connect people in need of plasma with donors, the officials said.

The district police has also created a Google document form that could be accessed online by people to provide information of the patient for finding a plasma donor, a spokesperson said.

"The initiative aims at both the purposes – receiving as well as donating plasma," the police spokesperson said.

While police personnel, who have recovered from COVID-19, are volunteering for the plasma donation through the initiative, senior officials have appealed to people to join the effort.

"Please help more people join this initiative for plasma donation so that a collective effort can be made to overcome this humanitarian crisis and save lives," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ranvijay Singh said in a message to residents.

Gautam Buddh Nagar adjoining Delhi is among the worst-hit districts of Uttar Pradesh with over 3,300 active cases of COVID-19 and 103 deaths due to the pandemic so far, according to official figures updated till Sunday.