Delhi Government Decides to Have Plasma Bank for Treatment of Coronavirus Patients

As per Union Health Ministry data, a single-day spike of 19,459 coronavirus cases took India’s tally to 5,48,318 yesterday, while the death toll climbed to 16,475 with 380 new fatalities,. This is the sixth consecutive day that coronavirus infections have shown a huge rise of more than 15,000. The country has seen a surge of 3,57,783 infections from June 1 so far. The number of active cases stands at 2,10,120, while 3,21,722 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the recent data. “Thus, around 58.67 per cent of patients have recovered so far,” an official confirmed. The total number of confirmed cases includes foreigners as well. 

While the capital recorded 2,889 fresh coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the tally in the city over the 83,000-mark, and the death toll from the disease mounted to 2,623, authorities revealed. The number of containment zones in the city also jumped to 417 on Sunday from 315 on Saturday, according to a Delhi health department data. On June 23, the national capital had reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947 cases. Recently, Delhi had eclipsed Mumbai as the city worst-hit by the pandemic in the country. Sixty-five fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, the Delhi health department bulletin said. It confirmed that the death toll due to coronavirus has risen to 2,623 and the total number of cases mounted to 83,077.

Looking at the recent situation, the Delhi government has decided to set up a plasma bank in Delhi to help treat patients suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The ‘Plasma Bank’ will be set-up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in Delhi. 

According to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the plasma bank will be started in the next two days. The Delhi Chief Minister has also appealed that patients recovering from COVID-19 should donate plasma to the plasma bank to treat other patients.

As per the guidelines, plasma will, however, be provided to patients only on the written recommendation of a doctor.

Arvind Kejriwal told that the Delhi government has decided to set up the plasma bank since the first plasma therapy trials were conducted in Delhi and the results proved to be promising.

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Kejriwal revealed that of the 35 COVID-19 patients who were given plasma at the LNJP hospital over the past few days, 34 survived. Notably, this will be the first plasma bank in the country. The Delhi Chief Minister said “I appeal to COVID-19 recovered patients to donate their plasma because you are getting a chance to save other people’s lives.” Finally, Kejriwal urged the news media to also initiate to drive campaigns to motivate more people to donate plasma to save the lives of others and asks recovered patients to show ‘real bhakti’ by donating amid shortage.