Narendrapur, Oct 21: More than 50 employees of Tata Steel BSL, located at Narendrapur in Dhenkanal district  have come forward to donate plasma in a bid to save other COVID-19 patients in the state.

Bhumesh Chandra Behera, Collector and District Magistrate, Dhenkanal flagged off, the first batch of five volunteers today to SCB Medical College, Cuttack through virtual platform. Subodh Pandey, Chief Operating Officer, Tata Steel BSL, Manikanta Naik, Chief, Corporate Services, Tata Steel BSL, Dr Ashis Mahapatra of Occupational Health Centre of the company, plasma donors and other officials had attended the virtual flag off ceremony.

Commending Tata Steel BSL for the initiative, Behera said, as many patients are still under treatment, plasma of these volunteers will go a long way in supporting the critical COVID-19 positive patients of the state. He assured all possible support for facilitating more such plasma donors in future.

Thanking the district administration for their whole-hearted cooperation in facilitating plasma donation by Tata Steel BSL’s employees, Pandey said, as part of the hallowed tradition of the Tata Group to volunteer for greater public good, many from the plant are willing to donate plasma.  We will continue to support Government of Odisha with as many volunteers as possible from our team in this critical juncture, he added. 

Plasma therapy is a medical procedure that uses the blood of a COVID-19 recovered patient to create antibodies on those infected individuals. It helps mostly the critically ill patients who are struggling now in many places to get plasma at the right time. 

The first batch of volunteers including TikeshwarSahu, from Chhattisgarh, Saikat Ghosh, from West Bengal, Mrutyunjaya Senapati and Ashok Kumar Maharana both from Dhenkanal and Nirdosh Dave, Madhya Pradesh, have gone to SCB Medical College, Cuttack today accompanied by a coordinator from the district administration. Depending on the available slots as per advice of the district administration, rest of the volunteers will donate plasma in phases.