Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Urges Recovered Covid-19 Patients To Donate Plasma For Treatment Of Serious Patients

Delhi CM stressed on the fact that plasma therapy is still in the initial phase and encouraging but it should not be misinterpreted as a solution to cure Covid-19.

Image: ANI

New Delhi: In a step to stem the outbreak of Covid-19, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged patients who have recovered from the disease to come forward and donate their plasma which can be used in treating serious patients. Several measures have been taken by the government besides lockdown and social distancing to contain the spread of Coronovirus. Now, the focus is on how to prevent deaths from Coronavirus, stressed the chief minister in a press conference on Friday. The chief minister urged recovered patients to donate their plasma to help patients recover from the deadly disease. He informed that the results of plasma therapy trial conducted on patients ion LNJP hospital are satisfactory. He said he will seek permission from Centre to use the therapy for treatment in other hospitals based on the success of the trials at LNJP Hospital “Around 10 days back, we have got permission for limited trials of plasma therapy from the Centre. We have so far done limited trials on serious patients in LNJP hospital.  We have tried this therapy in four patients so far, and the results are encouraging so far. We will continue the trial until next week and see the results. After that we will ask the Centre to give us permission to use the therapy on serious patients across the capital,” said Arvind Kejriwal during the conference.

He said he will seek permission from Centre to use the therapy for treatment in other hospitals based on the success of the trials at LNJP Hospital

“Two patients were given plasma in ICU in the hospital two days back (Tuesday) but now after the plasma therapy they have shown improvement and they might be taken out of the ICU and moved to ward depending on the recovery. We will give the therapy to two more patients today,” he added. He stressed on the fact that it is still in the initial phase and should not be misinterpreted as a solution to cure Covid-19. Watch: Kejriwal's Press Conference The chief minister mentioned that anybody who calls for the donation, a vehicle will be immediately provided for transport besides measures will be taken care to facilitate the procedure. In this therapy, the person who has recovered from Covid-19 has to donate their plasma because they have formed antibodies, which is helpful in treating new Covid-19 patients. "The therapy is also inexpensive as compared to other medicines which are much costlier if imported from abroad, " said Dr SK Sarin, Director, Institute of Liver & Biliary Science. In Delhi, the total number of positive patients has touched 2,376.  While the total cases in India have crossed 23077 and 718 have succumbed to the disease so far.