Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Nov 20: The Indian Medical Association, Arunachal Pradesh Unit (IMA-AP) is going to organize plasma donation drive at the Blood Bank of Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), Naharlagun from November 23 to 28 next.
While announcing this at a press conference here today, IMA-AP president Dr Lobsang Tsetim appealed to the Covid-19 recovered patients to come forward and donate their plasma for the treatment of serious patients.
Citing that there was shortage of plasma in the state, Dr Lobsang said, the plasma donation drive in the state would ensure sufficient convalescent plasma to treat severe SARS CoV 2 infected patients and aid in their recovery. “We request the recovered Covid-19 patients to come forward and donate plasma to save precious lives suffering from Covid-19.”
“As we all know that there is no vaccine and medicines for Covid-19 as of now, plasma therapy is the one of the proven treatment modalities for Covid-19 and we can get plasma from only those who have recovered from Covid-19. This is time for them to help the Covid-19 patients, especially those who are in critical condition by donating their plasma,” the doctor said.
In Arunachal Pradesh, BPGH, Pasighat and TRIHMS, Naharlagun have installed the plasma therapy machines but due to lack of awareness very few numbers of people are coming up for plasma donation, he said.
IMA State unit vice president Dr Kesang Thongdok said that plasma therapy is only a way to diminish the Covid-19 death rate. Its general secretary Dr Jego Ori said that the fight against Covid-19 is still on and the State Govt’s strategy is to prevent death rate after community spread in the State. He also said, only plasma therapy is the way to reduce fatalities.
Dr Ori informed that one unit of plasma can save two lives, while adding that a recovered patient can donate plasma once in every 15 days upto two months after being discharged.
“The therapy includes extracting the plasma from the recovered person’s blood after 28 days of their recovery date and infusing it into a severe Covid-19 patient, as it contains a specific neutralizing antibody that removes pathogens, and possibly stop the virus from combining with the cell surface receptor, further stopping the disease progression,” he added.
Plasma can be collected from those persons (in the age group of 18 to 60 years) who have recovered from Covid-19 in the last two months or after 28 days of recovery from the disease. Females who have not conceived yet are also eligible to be a donor.
Stating that there is no risk in donating plasma, Dr Ori informed that till today, only nine persons have donated plasma and added that the number of donors was less apparently due to some misconception or lack of awareness.
He said that the process of registration for plasma donation has started and those eligible can register their name by calling at 9402782869, 7628977650 and 9436069257.