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Angara renews call for plasma donation from COVID-19 survivors
By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News COVID-19 survivor Senator Sonny Angara on Tuesday implored patients who recovered from the virus to donate their plasma and help others win the battle too.
In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Angara said he thought of establishing a website that would link interested donors to collecting hospitals to make the process more convenient because doctors are having difficulties in tracing survivors due to existing privacy rights.
"Ang sabi sa akin ng mga doktor hirap silang makahanap ng donors kasi nga may patient privacy eh so hindi nilalabas ang datos at hindi nilalabas ang names in public," he said.
The senator recently launched the Plasma ng Pag-asa website, a one-stop COVID-19 survivor registration system.
The Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, and St. Luke's Medical Center are currently the partner hospitals of Angara's office.
"Inaanyayahan po natin na tingnan ng survivors o mga nagka-COVID at gustong magbigay ng kanilang dugo at plasma na makakatulong sa mga ibang pasyente, puwedeng pumunta sa plasmangpagasa.com," he said.
"Private naman po, private po ang datos doon at sa ospital lang po ibibigay... May initial testing lang kung puwede silang magbigay ng kanilang dugo dahil ang hinahanap nga 'yung tinatawag na antibodies o 'yung quality ng kanilang dugo na nakakapanglaban sa virus," he added.
Angara tested positive for COVID-19 in March. He was one of the three senators who got infected with the virus—along with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.
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In May, he tested positive for COVID-19 again just when he was about to make another donation. Angara said it was a "false positive" result.
The Department of Health (DOH) explained that Angara may no longer be infectious and that what was detected were only remnants of the virus.
Last Thursday, Angara donated his plasma once again.
A Senate bill seeking to establish plasma banks all over the country has recently been filed amid reports that some middlemen are charging up to P20,000 in exchange for finding plasma donors for COVID-19 patients.
The number of COVID-19 infections in the Philippines reached over 46,000 after recording 2,099 fresh and late cases on July 6.
Angara said that while quarantine protocols have been eased to jump start the economy, the local government units must strengthen the awareness campaign on the risks of contracting the virus.—AOL, GMA News