Two private hospitals here received convalescent plasma supply from the Sub-National Blood Center for Visayas based in Cebu City as part of the government assistance being provided to the city in its battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
On Wednesday, some 20 bags of blood were turned over by retired Maj. Gen. Melquiades Feliciano, deputy chief implementer of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF)-Visayas, to officials of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Government Center.
“Bayanihan is on,” said the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), which also facilitated the donation from the Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7).
The plasma supply was given to Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Medical Center) and Adventist Medical Center-Bacolod.
Feliciano was joined by wife, Mia Feliciano, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of DOH-7, and OPAV administrative officer Joel Aba in turning over the blood donation to City Administrator Em Ang and City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli.
The plasma, which is taken from the blood of patients who have recovered from Covid-19, is used for transfusion to moderately-ill patients to aid their recovery.
It is considered a possible therapy to prevent disease progression among hospitalized patients.
The DOH has emphasized that blood plasma donations should be done voluntarily and should go through the official process to ensure the safety of both recipients and donors.
As of Wednesday night, Bacolod has 4,266 confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which, 3,164 or 74.17 percent have recovered. The city has also recorded 1,008 active cases (23.63 percent) and 94 deaths (2.2 percent). (PNA)
