New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday appealed to the cured COVID-19 patients to donate plasma to treat those infected with the virus in the national capital.
Signalling that demand of plasma is more than its uses, Kejriwal said there is no harm in donating plasma and the process does not hurt anyone.
His appeal came at a time when a total of 99,444 confirmed COVID-19 patients were reported in the national capital as per Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHF) data.
He also mentioned that the process to donate plasma is easier than blood donation.
The Chief Minister also appealed to the cured COVID patients to come forward for the noble cause so that others can be treated, and informed that “pick and drop facility” will be given to the donor. He also appealed to all Delhi hospitals for holding a counseling class for cured COVID-19 patients to encourage them to donate plasma till a vaccine of the disease is available.
Noting that the number of COVID-19 patients has now been decreasing in the national capital, Kejriwal appealed to people to help others by donating plasma, the only option to treat infected people so far.
The appeal came four days after he announced the launch of the country’s first plasma bank to treat coronavirus patients in Delhi. The plasma bank is now operational at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in South Delhi, which the Chief Minister said, is a facility where no COVID-19 patient approaches.
“It is safe if anyone has any doubt of being infected,” he said.
“The plasma bank will only be successful when people would come forward and donate for patients,” he added.
Plasma therapy is considered effective for people struggling to cope with coronavirus. It involves injection of blood-component plasma extracted from a cured patient to a positive coronavirus case. The plasma extracted from a cured patient is considered to be having virus fighting antibodies. It strengthens the immunity of the person getting the plasma.