Delhi's first plasma bank to treat Covid-19 operational

The first-of-its-kind Plasma Bank in the country started functioning on Thursday with the Delhi government saying that only those Covid-19 patients below 60 years and with no comorbidities can donate blood rich with antibodies that can help in the treatment of the novel coronavirus.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal released numbers -- 1031 for calls and 8800007722 for WhatsApp -- for people to contact if they wish to register themselves to donate plasma.

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In his digital address, Kejriwal said only Covid-19 patients can donate plasma and that too only after 14 days of recovery. Recovered Covid-19 patients in the age group of 18 to 60 years and with weight above 50 kg can donate.

Women who ever became pregnant, those who are diabetic and taking insulin, those with hypertension or blood pressure above 140, cancer survivors and those with chronic lung, heart, liver and kidney ailments are not allowed to donate plasma.

"Once you leave out these people, the number of those eligible to donate plasma will be very less. Those who are eligible should come forward as this is an opportunity to save a life. We get very few opportunities to save lives," he said.

Those registering to donate plasma will be contacted by a doctor who assesses the donor. Following this, the government will approach the donor to arrange an appointment with the state government-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj for plasma donation.

The donor will be provided with a taxi or reimbursement for the conveyance.

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Kejriwal said no patient or their families can approach ILBS for plasma on their own.

He said, "Individuals cannot approach the Plasma Bank directly. The doctors will have to prescribe and then the hospitals will have to make the call, not the patient or his family," he said.

Plasma therapy uses blood donated by recovered patients to introduce antibodies in Covid-19 patients who are under treatment. Delhi was among one of the first states to use plasma therapy, although it is not considered a definite line of treatment.

Kejriwal, who announced the setting up of Plasma Bank on Monday, acknowledged that plasma therapy is not the panacea for Covid-19 and it will have to be used till a vaccine is developed for the deadly.