By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, AUG 09, 2020: MR Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour & Employment, and Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana, inaugurated Plasma Bank at ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana) through video conference from Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi late yesterday.

During his address, Mr Gangwar informed  that the Plasma bank is a very important facility in the context of treating Covid-19 patients.

Mr Gangwar further said that in this crisis Covid situation, 21 ESIC Hospitals across India have been converted into Dedicated Covid-19 Hospitals. More than 2400 Isolation beds, 550 ICU/HDU beds with 200 ventilators have also been made available in these Hospitals. Quarantine facility (approx. 1300 Beds) has been made functional in 04 ESIC Hospitals at Alwar (Rajasthan), Bihta, Patna (Bihar), Gulbarga (Karnataka) and Korba (Chhattisgarh). Besides, Covid-19 testing facility has been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana), Basaidarapur (New Delhi) and Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. Plasma therapy is also being provided at ESIC Hospitals, Faridabad and Sanathnagar, Hyderabad for the treatment of serious patients of COVID-19. Mr Gangwar commended the efforts being made by ESIC, an organisation under his Ministry, to combat COVID-19 and added ESIC has been working continuously since its inception to provide social security to its insured persons in India. In the last 67 years of journey, today, the services of ESIC have been expanded to about 566 districts out of 722 districts. About 12 crore beneficiaries are receiving ESI facilities.

Mr Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana informed about the efforts of Haryana Govt. in combating Covid-19 pandemic.  He also briefed about the starting of Plasma Therapy in Haryana in 03 different locations, viz. Panchkula, Rohtak and Gurugram. At the end, while concluding his speech, he made an appeal to the COVID recovered patients to come forward and donate their plasmas to save the lives of others.

Immunohematology and Blood transfusion Department, ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Faridabad had started Convalescent Plasma therapy under PLACID Trial with permission from Indian Council Of Medical Research on 20th May 2020. First Plasmapheresis was conducted on 2nd June 2020 and more than 25 procedures have been done till date. Accordingly, first Plasma therapy was done on 8th June 2020 and a total of 35 patients have been given transfusions so far.

Department of Immunohematology and Blood transfusion, ESIC Medical College Faridabad is fully equipped with all the required equipment and manpower with a storage capacity of 400 units at a time and holds a valid License from Drug Controller General of India for Plasmaphaeresis. This Hospital is well equipped to conduct 30 plasmapheresis procedures per day, with 3 Dedicated Apheresis machines already working round the clock in the facility. The Convalescent Plasma is  important in view of increase in number of COVID cases.

ESIC Medical College Faridabad is a dedicated 540 bedded COVID Hospital with ICU Beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients of Haryana. Besides, Covid-19 testing facility has also been made available at ESIC Hospital, Faridabad (Haryana). The medical college is equipped with latest equipments, air conditioned classrooms, labs, etc.

The hospital associated with this medical college is centrally air conditioned with inpatient and outpatient departments and provides treatment facilities through various departments. This hospital is equipped with facilities such as OPD, IPD, Wards, Emergency, Diagnostic Services, Operation Theatres, ICU, CT Scan, MRI and many more for the Insured Persons and their dependents.  This Hospital is exclusively run for the benefit of insured persons and their family members covered under ESI Scheme.

Mr Heera Lal Samariya, Secretary, Labour and Employment, Ms. Anuradha Prasad, Director General, ESIC and officers of MoLE, ESIC & Govt. of Haryana also graced the occasion.