Under fire for ‘profiteering’, state to now provide plasma for free

CHANDIGARH : Amid controversy over the Punjab government putting a hefty price on “donated” plasma to treat Covid-19 patients in private hospitals, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced that the life-saving blood component will be provided free of cost to all those in need.

Amarinder directed the health department to strictly ensure that Covid-19 patients are not charged for plasma therapy and that nobody is allowed to buy or sell plasma, which has proven a life-saver in many cases in the absence of a cure for the infection. The state government had on Sunday decided to make plasma available to private hospitals from its plasma bank at a cost of ₹20,000 per unit. A notification was also issued in this regard.

However, the move drew allround flak, especially from opposition parties which accused the government of profiteering. Aam Aadmi Party state president Bhagwant Mann even announced to stage a state-wide protest on Friday against the government move to sell donated plasma at an astronomical rate to coronavirus patients undergoing treatment in various private hospitals in the state.

In his statement, the chief minister also appealed to the recovered patients to come forward to save the lives of others. He urged all deputy commissioners (DCS) and health department officials, during a review meeting on Thursday, to motivate such patients to donate plasma.