To fight with the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced to launch India's first Plasma Bank in a city. Let us read in detail about it!
COVID-19 cases in India are increasing and the tally crosses 5.4 lakh and deaths more than 16 thousand. In Delhi coronavirus cases are around 83,077 on 28 June, 2020. Total recoveries around 52, 607 that is roughly 63% recovery rate as compared to the national average of 58.5%. Therefore, on 29 June, 2020 (Monday) at a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced to set up a plasma bank to help COVID-19 patients in the city. It will be the first such bank in the country.
About India's first Plasma bank
- It will operate as a blood bank.
- It will be set up in the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) hospital in South Delhi.
- After the recommendation of the doctor, the patient can avail of the services.
- Patients admitted to both the government and private hospitals can avail services of the plasma bank.
- It is not compulsion or mandatory for the patients to reach out to the bank to undergo plasma therapy.
- Plasma bank as per the CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal will be functional in the next two working days.
- The reason behind opening the plasma bank in the ILBS is that it is not a coronavirus facility. So there will be no fear of getting infected again by visiting COVID-19 hospital.
- A helpline will be launched for those who want to donate plasma.
Further CM Arvind Kejriwal stated that "Plasma can be donated by those people who have had COVID-19 and have recovered. if the antibody from the recovered patient's blood is provided to the patient can recover faster. This will be the first plasma bank in the country. He also said that if a patient wants to get plasma on their own, they can continue doing that. The hospital/doctor will approach ILBS. Plasma bank will be functional in the next two working days.
CM Arvind Kejriwal also said that Plasma therapy should not be seen as a Sanjeevani booti that is a divine herb. Plasma therapy does not guarantee the recovery of critically ill patients. There is no guarantee that plasma will save everyone but if a patient is in a moderate state then it is helpful for them. But according to the estimates, it is proving to be helpful for the treatment. He also made an appeal to the people to donate plasma as there is nothing bigger and better than saving someone's life.
He also told that if a person wants to donate plasma the commute to and from the centre will be arranged by the Delhi government. Also, a helpline will be launched for those who want to donate his or her plasma.
What is Plasma Therapy?
It is also known as Convalescent Plasma Therapy. Plasma is the yellowish liquid in the component of blood. It is said that from a recovered patient of COVID-19 antibodies can be helpful to fight the disease when infused into the bodies of another infected person or a person suffering from COVID-19. These antibodies are capable of fighting with the virus that causes illness and also helps in faster recovery.
Few weeks it took for antibodies to form. The hope is that transfusing someone else's antibodies could help patients to fight with the virus. Convalescent blood is an option if there are no medicines or vaccines to treat an infectious disease. In 1892, the first trial was done for diphtheria by using the serum from animals.
How much the Plasma therapy treatment is successful?
Around 29 patients received plasma therapy treatment in Delhi. According to the Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal "Trials on 29 patients were done and the results were very good. Two things happen in corona, one is oxygen level drops and another is respiration level increases. It was observed that if plasma therapy is given to the patients then it increases the level of oxygen and respiration level also decreases."
The plasma therapy treatment is in its initial stages and doctors around the world have received mixed reports on the benefits of the treatment.
So, now you may have come to know about India's first plasma bank and about the plasma therapy.
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