By Betheena Unite
Two more hospitals in the country are trying out convalescent plasma therapy as an additional intervention in treating COVID-19 patients, the Department of Health bared.
Aside from the Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center and the Lung Center of the Philippines are now both trying to use convalescent plasma therapy, or the transfusion of blood from a recovered COVID-19 patient to a fellow patient under treatment, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Nais po namin na ibalita sa inyo na bukod po sa Philippine General Hospital ay gumagamit na rin po ng convalescent plasma therapy ang St. Luke’s Medical Center bilang karagdagang intervention for severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients (We want to announce that, aside from the Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Center is also trying convalescent plasma therapy as an additional intervention for severe or critically ill COVID-19 patients),” Vergeire said during a televised press briefing.
According to St. Luke’s Medical Center, the program has yielded positive effects on patients’ conditions saying, “they are seeing continuous improvement of patients who underwent convalescent plasma therapy.”
“Dagdag pa ho ng pamunuan ng ospital, handa sila na ibigay ang serbisyong ito sa ibang ospital para matulungan po sila para maisagawa ang convalescent procedure (The hospital also added that they are willing to help other medical institutions in conducting convalescent plasma procedure),” the health official said.
The Lung Center of the Philippines, on the other hand, has appealed to patients, who recovered from the disease, to donate their plasma in order to conduct transfusion for their convalescent plasma program. Vergeire said interested recoveries, may contact Dr. Gerard Tejada at +639 17 122 8808.