710 COVID patients received plasma from banks, 921 donated, says Kejriwal

Delhi, Aug 12: Over 700 COVID-19 patients in Delhi have received plasma from designated banks enabling their recovery from coronavirus infection, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.

He asserted that the system of plasma bank has been a "crucial element" in the ''Delhi Model'' of COVID response and is being adopted by other states too.

"Until now, around 710 units of convalescent plasma have been provided, enabling recovery of patients across hospitals in Delhi," he was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Delhi government.

The youngest patient to receive plasma is 18, and the oldest patient is 94 years old. Around 522 males and 188 female patients have been administered plasma therapy, the statement said.

A total of 921 patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have donated plasma at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) plasma bank, Kejriwal added.

These include, 86 healthcare workers, 209 entrepreneurs, eight media personnel, 28 police officials, 50 students, 32 government officials, and 508 recovered people including servicemen, self-employed professionals, non-residents of Delhi, the statement said.

Around 14 recovered patients have donated plasma more than once, Kejriwal said.

The first plasma bank in the country was started at the ILBS by the Delhi government on July 2 with the objective to provide free of cost convalescent plasma to patients.

Subsequently, another plasma bank was launched at the LNJP Hospital in Delhi. Both are run by the city government.

The chief minister asserted that the initiative of plasma bank in Delhi is proving to be a boon for COVID patients.

"Along with various steps taken by the Delhi government to combat coronavirus, plasma therapy has streamlined the recovery of critically-ill COVID-19 patients across Delhi-NCR," he said.

Kejriwal said plasma banks established by the city government at ILBS and LNJP hospitals are providing free of cost convalescent plasma to all hospitals, including those run by the central government and state government as well as private and civic-run hospitals in Delhi.

People were facing issues in obtaining plasma, and plasma banks were established for hassle-free access to it, the statement said.

At the launch of the plasma bank, Kejriwal had appealed to patients who had recovered from COVID-19 to donate the fluid, consisting of antibodies, in huge numbers and be effective contributors in Delhi''s fight against the pandemic.

He had said until a vaccine comes for COVID-19, the convalescent plasma therapy should be looked as an effective treatment for it

Kejriwal said 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.

Till date, 388 units of convalescent plasma have been issued to patients below 60 years of age, and 322 units to patients above 60 years of age, who are gradually at a high risk of getting critically ill due to COVID-19, the statement said.

After a "successful model" of administering plasma therapies to COVID-19 patients in Delhi, plasma banks are also being established in many states across the country, it said.

"Many countries across the world are also establishing plasma banks to aid the recovery of COVID patients," the statement said.

Various categories of donors have come forward to donate plasma to aid the recovery of COVID-19 patients, officials said.

Recovered patients belonging to different professions, like police officials, doctors, nurses, army officials, and patients who have recovered through home isolation, have donated plasma at the ILBS, they said.