In a bid to cure the patients who are critically-ill due to COVID-19, the Maharashtra government is prepared to conduct plasma therapy on them.  Kolhapur in western Maharashtra is likely to become the first city to conduct the therapy.<br />'' <br />'' According to a government official, as a first step towards this procedure, Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College has collected plasma from the blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19. The hospital is awaiting permission to conduct such a medical procedure from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).<br />'' <br />'' In Kolhapur, there were a total of 10 COVID-19 positive patients. However, three of them have recovered fully, while the remaining 7 are under treatment and are in stable condition. But as a preemptive measure, the official said, the Government is preparing beforehand to conduct this therapy on patients who get seriously ill. The official said, 550 ml of plasma has been collected from the person who has recovered from the disease.  <br />'' <br />''The convalescent plasma therapy aims at using antibodies from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat those critically affected by the virus. The therapy can also be used to immunise those at a high risk of contracting the virus — such as health workers, families of patients and other high-risk contacts.<br />