In a first in the country, 20,000 people have come forward to donate platelets to support the patients suffering from vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya. The donors have registered with an online platform of a private hospital in two weeks after the platform was opened.
The initiative was taken at the time when vector-borne diseases are on peak and become the major threat to people’s life in the national Capital. More than a lakh cases of dengue were reported in India with 245 unfortunate deaths last year.
Asia’s largest and trusted healthcare group Apollo in collaboration with India’s leading consumer products group Godrej on Tuesday launched the first online nation-wide platelet donor community to help the patients of dengue and Chikengunya.
Sunil Kataria, Business head-India and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) said: “People are aware that mosquito bites causes dengue but they are unaware about the curative measures, especially about platelets.”
“Our Godrej HIT-Nielsen research reveals that 90 per cent citizens are aware that platelets are blood components but a startling 66% believe that platelets are a cure for dengue and 80% believe that platelets can be stored like blood, both of which are factually incorrect! This lack of awareness leads to lot of anxiety among citizens.
Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We are trying to bridge the disparity in awareness and provide ready resources to manage diseases like dengue. Apollo Hospitals has set-up and will manage a 24x7 helpline for patients suffering from dengue. The helpline is available for donors willing to donate their platelets and for the donors looking to receive platelets for their treatment. This initiative is aimed towards building a donor community that can help fellow citizens who fall victim to dengue. With Apollo’s wide reach, our clinical outcomes and the expertise our doctors we are confident that we will help significantly address the challenge posed by dengue and related fevers.”
“The dengue virus causes a sharp drop in the platelet count of the patient’s blood, triggering internal bleeding and other complications. When the platelet count drops below 20,000/cu.mm, the patient may require an urgent transfusion of platelets. Over the last many years both have been educating masses about mosquito borne diseases and its preventive measures,” he said.