348-km stretch covered in 4.5 hours
An inter-State green corridor was created to transport convalescent plasma from HealthCare Global Cancer Hospital in Bengaluru to a private hospital in Chennai on Monday. In a press release, HCG Enterprises Ltd said the green corridor was created over a 348-km stretch for 4.5 hours.
The blood plasma was for a COVID-19 positive elderly woman. Plasma was extracted from a donor, who had recovered from the disease, at 3 p.m. on Monday at HGC hospital in Bengaluru. An ambulance carrying the plasma left the hospital at 5 p.m. via the green corridor created with the help of Bengaluru City Police.
Dr. Vishal Rao, Associate Dean, Centre for Academics and Research, HCG Cancer Hospital, in a press release said, “Green corridors to facilitate transportation of organs is a common phenomenon, but an inter-State transfer of plasma was a first. Within two hours of extraction, we were all set to transfer the plasma. The police officials created a special green corridor so that the plasma could reach the hospital from Bengaluru to Chennai in a timely manner.”
Dr. Rao also said with each passing day, plasma requirements for patients are increasing and in the absence of a bank, it becomes difficult to cater to them. The HCG team carried the plasma till Hosur, from where it was transferred to the team from the private hospital. The plasma reached Chennai at 9.30 p.m.