Erick Thohir: 400 Cc Convalescent Plasma Can Save Two Lives Exposed To COVID-19

Minister of BUMN, Erick Thohir. (Photo: Instagram @erickthohir)

JAKARTA - State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Minister Erick Thohir said that convalescent plasma transfusions donated by COVID-19 survivors are an additional alternative to treating COVID-19 patients and can reduce the number of deaths due to COVID-19.

Erick Thohir has held a BUMN plasma program simultaneously in 15 provinces in Indonesia. Currently, there are 1,048 registrants of convalesent plasma donors from 66 state companies in 33 provinces in Indonesia.

"God willing, the cooperation between BUMN and PMI can continue. Because as previously stated by Mr. Jusuf Kalla, 400 Cc (blood) can save two human lives and it is very important to continue to reduce the number of deaths due to COVID-19," he said in the launching of the BUMN Plasma program for Indonesia, Monday, February 8.

As is known, the death rate due to COVID-19 in the country is still high and alarming. From data from the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery (KC-PEN), the death rate for the elderly due to COVID-19 reached 47.3 percent. As of February 7, the confirmed positive cases that died had increased by 163 people. So that the total becomes 31,556 people.

Erick hopes that the BUMN plasma donor program will be able to help the government in reducing this mortality rate. The government itself has carried out several initiatives, including a vaccination program that has started running for health workers (health workers).

"Indeed, it is very important how we should reduce the number of deaths in Indonesia. If we see for ourselves the death rate is still high, because of that, several initiatives are being carried out by the government, one of which is vaccination, which is now starting for health workers," he said.

According to Erick, the BUMN plasma program is a form of BUMN Ministry support for the conventional plasma donor national movement that was initiated by the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin. Convalescent plasma transfusion is an additional therapy for treating COVID-19 patients.

The program was initiated by the Ministry of BUMN, in collaboration with the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and implemented by the BUMN Task Force in each province in Indonesia. This program also simultaneously encourages employees and families of BUMN who have been infected to help other COVID-19 patients.