Delhi Government’s initiative to launch plasma banks in Delhi has proved as a boon for Covid-19 patients with 710 of those infected

have been administered plasma till now. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the plasma banks established by the Delhi Government in ILBS and LNJP hospitals are providing free convalescent plasma to all hospitals, including the Central Government, State Government, private, and MCD hospitals in Delhi.

“Around 710 units of convalescent plasma have been provided, enabling recovery of patients across hospitals in Delhi,” he said.  Along with various steps taken by the Delhi Government to combat corona, plasma therapy has streamlined the recovery of critically ill Covid-19 patients across Delhi.

The first plasma bank was started in ILBS by the Delhi Government on July 2, with an objective to provide free of cost convalescent plasma to patients. Subsequently, another plasma bank was launched at the LNJP Hospital in Delhi. This system has been a crucial element in the Delhi Model of COVID response and is being adopted by other States too. Kejriwal said experts across the world have claimed that plasma therapy can aid in the recovery of critically ill Covid patients.

The Delhi Government had thereafter asked for permission to administer plasma therapy in hospitals from the Central Government. The plasma therapy trials were conducted after the permissions received from the Central Government. The establishment of the plasma bank by the Kejriwal-led Delhi Government was done to put forward an efficient system for the recovery of patients and reduce the number of Covid-19 deaths to zero.

Kejriwal said the convalescent plasma has been provided to patients of all blood groups; including the rare blood group type AB for which 90 units of AB plasma have been issued.

Apart from this, 171 units of A blood group plasma, 180 units of O blood group plasma, and 269 units of B blood group plasma have also been issued for the recovery of Covid patients in the city, he said.

Elaborating it further, the Chief Minister said the therapy has shown encouraging results in the recovery of critically ill patients. To date, 388 units of convalescent plasma have been issued to patients below 60 years of age, and 322 units have been issued to patients above 60 years of age, who are gradually at a high risk of getting critically ill due to corona, he said.

“The youngest patient to receive plasma is 18, and the oldest patient is 94 years and around 522 males and 188 female patients have been administered plasma therapy,” he added.

After the successful model of administering plasma therapies on Covid patients in Delhi, plasma banks are also established in many states across the country. Nations across the world are also establishing plasma banks to aid the recovery of Covid patients.