The Pocztowy Dar Foundation purchased a plasma analyzer
The "Pocztowy Dar" Foundation purchased specialized medical equipment – an immunological analyzer – which was donated to the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Białystok. This donation aligns with Poczta Polska's social responsibility initiatives, including those supporting institutions fighting the coronavirus and improving the safety of Poles.
The Białystok analyzer is the only device of its kind in the country, owned by regional blood donation and blood therapy centers. It will process patients and samples from donors across Poland. The analyzer can accurately determine the level of anti-SARS-CoV-IgA and anti-SARS-CoV-IgG antibodies in blood plasma from recovered patients, allowing for the preparation of appropriate doses of therapeutic plasma for COVID-19 patients. The Regional Blood Donation and Blood Therapy Center in Białystok is preparing such preparations for patients in infectious disease hospitals across the country.
The device, along with the reagents and materials necessary to perform the tests, cost over PLN 330,000. The purchase was financed by companies from the Poczta Polska group.
Research is currently underway around the world to develop an effective and safe treatment method for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. One potential therapy is the transfusion of convalescent plasma from individuals who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and have produced antibodies. The ability to obtain the most valuable medicine – convalescent plasma – is crucial. People who have recovered from COVID-19 are systematically reporting to Regional Blood Donation Centers across the country.
Convalescent plasma therapy is a very promising treatment method. As of May 19th, blood donation centers across Poland have collected 235 plasma donations, and 79 units of plasma have already been transfused to COVID-19 patients, often resulting in spectacularly rapid recoveries.
The "Pocztowy Dar" foundation also provided donations to six hospitals: the Nicolaus Copernicus Provincial Multi-Specialty Center for Oncology and Traumatology in Łódź, the District Hospital in Ryki Ltd., the District Hospital named after the Polish Red Cross in Nisko, the Provincial Specialist Hospital named after the Blessed Virgin Mary in Częstochowa, the Zagłębie Oncology Center and Specialist Hospital named after Sz. Starkiewicz in Dąbrowa Górnicza, and the University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw. Not all of these medical facilities are caring for COVID-19 patients, but all of them, caring for the health and lives of their patients and colleagues, need additional funds to purchase protective equipment against the coronavirus.