Project Platina - world's largest convalescent plasma therapy project launched in Maharashtra

Convalescent Plasma therapy is now coming up as one of the most important methods in the treatment of severe COVID 19 patients in the absence of definite treatment or drugs for the same. This is the World's largest trial cum treatment project, which is to benefit 500 lives of critically ill COVID 19 patients in Maharashtra," Uddhav Thackeray said.

What is Project Platina?

Project Platina is the name given to this largest convalescent plasma trial and therapy that is sponsored and run by the Maharashtra government. In convalescent plasma therapy, antibodies from the blood of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 are used to treat serious patients. Plasma from the blood of people who have recovered from the infection is obtained to inject into patients undergoing treatment.

The trial will be carried out at 21 centres across the state, including 17 medical colleges under the Medical Education and Drugs Department and four medical colleges of the BMC in Mumbai.

Incidentally, the announcement in Maharashtra came hours after the Delhi government announced the creation of a plasma bank to fight the disease in the national capital, one of the worst affected states of the country. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged those who have recovered from the infection to donate plasma so that the lives of the critically ill patients can be saved. He assured that the state government will arrange transport for them to come to donate plasma at the plasma bank