A Doctor And His WhatsApp Groups Behind Kerala’s First Plasma Bank

Malappuram:

A health care provider in Kerala’s Malappuram district created a WhatsApp group in March, when the circumstances of extremely contagious coronavirus started to unfold within the nation, to work together with COVID sufferers. Dr Shinas Babu, a nodal officer for COVID-19 in Manjeri Medical school within the district, now manages 4 such WhatsApp teams – a mixture of these contaminated and those that have recovered. These teams grew to become the very foundation for mobilising individuals for Kerala’s first plasma financial institution at a time when the variety of COVID-19 infections are spiralling within the coastal state.

Jithu P Ajith, the son of a Sub-Inspector who recovered from COVID-19 with the assistance of plasma remedy, recounted the immediate response of medical doctors in arranging plasma for his father.

“In June, my family and I returned to Malappuram. Soon my father tested positive for COVID 19. And then I got a call from the doctor saying he was critical and needed plasma therapy. But even as he was speaking to me to get my consent, the donors were already arranged by the doctors,” he advised NDTV.

Sub-Inspector Ajith P Kumar is posted in Delhi.

“I used to add patients to whatsapp groups to be able to interact with them directly. Because people are worried, scared and skeptical. So, we used to discuss and clear doubts in the group. There were also those who had recovered and would share their experience,” Dr Babu recollects.

“We suddenly needed plasma in May for a patient in his 60s. I put this up in the WhatsApp group. Two people volunteered almost immediately. Unfortunately, the patient did not respond well to the treatment and he died. But eventually we were successful with plasma therapy on four patients,” he stated.

That’s when the physician shared his thought of a plasma financial institution with the medical school’s senior medical doctors, District Medical Officer and District Collector, who have been absolutely supportive, he stated.

“22 recovered patients from Malappuram donated their plasma on July 11 – the day the Sub-Inspector was discharged. And then based on a second appeal on WhatsApp, another 22 people donated their plasma on July 17. There are another 200 who have given their consent to donate but are waiting to clear the medical requirements like stipulated waiting period for recovered patients first”, Dr Shinas Babu stated.

Malappuram has a complete of 615 recovered COVID 19 sufferers, and 560 energetic circumstances.