Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday inaugurated 'Project PLATINA', world's largest convalescent plasma therapy trial cum treatment of severe COVID-19 patients.
"Project PLATINA'-World's Largest convalescent plasma therapy trial cum treatment of severe COVID-19 patients was today launched by Maharashtra Medical Education and Drugs Department and inaugurated by Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray," state Chief Minister's Office tweeted.
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," said the CMO in a series of tweets.
The trial will be carried out in 17 medical colleges under Medical Education and Drugs Department and 4 medical colleges of BMC in Mumbai (21 centres), it added.
All critical patients will receive two doses of 200 ml of convalescent plasma. The plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients contains antibodies thereby fighting infection and helping critically ill patients recover, the CMO said.
Maharashtra has a total of 1,64,626 COVID-19 cases of which 7,429 patients have succumbed to the infection, said the Union Health Ministry on Monday. There are 70,622 active cases in the state.
( With inputs from ANI )