Bhubaneswar, Jul 31 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the third plasma bank at Rourkela on Friday and said the state has collected 70 units of plasma in a fortnight for the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Patnaik, who inaugurated the plasma bank at Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela through video conferencing, said eight patients have so far been discharged from hospitals in the state after being cured of coronavirus through plasma therapy.

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Seventeen other patients are improving after undergoing the new medical procedure, he said. It is heartening to know that 70 units of plasma have been prepared in 15 days, the chief minister said adding the plasma bank at Rourkela will serve the COVID-19 patients in western Odisha.

Two other such facilities will soon come up at MKCG Medical College Hospital at Berhampur and VIMSAR, Burla, he said.

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With this, all the regions of the state will have access to plasma therapy, he said.

The two other plasma banks already in operation are at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack and at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

Patnaik urged patients cured of COVID-19 to voluntarily donate plasma and make it a movement as plasma therapy is the only one that has proved effective against the deadly virus.

A person, who had recovered from the contagion in the first week of July, donated his plasma during the inauguration programme.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)