A nurse checks on a patient who has recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus as he undergoes a procedure to donate plasma at a hospital in Manila on April 22, 2020. Maria Tan, Agence France-Presse/File Photo
MANILA - The Philippine Red Cross on Tuesday announced that it would start accepting donations to help poor coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients avail of the convalescent plasma treatment.
Each bag of blood plasma from a COVID-19 survivor, "contains neutralizing antibodies which will help recipients fight off the infection," usually costs between P30,000 and P50,000 "because the blood undergoes a series of testing and processing," the PRC said in a statement.
Through the PRC's "Samaritan Program for Convalescent Plasma," would "give hope to poor citizens" to avail of the alternative treatment, PRC chair Sen. Richard Gordon said.
"Sasagutin ng pondong ido-donate niyo 'yung mahihirap nating mga kababayan na nangangailangan ng convalescent plasma para malabanan nila ang COVID," he said.
"Malaking bagay ‘yan sa mga tao na umaasa," he said.
The PRC's donation drive for the plasma treatment was announced a day after the agency opened its blood plasma center in Manila where COVID-19 survivors can donate their blood plasma.
The PRC also urged COVID-19 survivors to donate their blood plasma to help those who are still battling the disease.
Philippine Red Cross, Richard Gordon, PRC, COVID-19, coronavirus, convalescent plasma treatment, blood plasma, health