Covid-19: 27-year-old Dubai-returnee becomes Amritsar’s first plasma donor
Under the treatment called convalescent plasma therapy, antibody-rich blood plasma of patients, who have recovered from Covid-19, is preserved for transfusion into critical patients
A 27-year-old man, who was found positive for the coronavirus after his arrival in Amritsar from Dubai, on Wednesday became the district’s first patient to donate his plasma after having recovered from the disease.
The plasma of Gurvinder Pal Singh, a resident of the Chheharta area in the city, was successfully used on two Covid-19 patients at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Amritsar.
He was tested positive for Covid-19 on May 20 and underwent treatment at the isolation ward of GMCH for 15 days.
“We are extremely thankful to Gurvinder for donating his plasma, as it can prove helpful in treating critically ill patients. The blood group of Gurvinder is ‘A’ negative and his plasma could be used for treating patients of the same blood group. None of the critically ill patients admitted in GMCH, however, has the matching blood group,” said GMC Amritsar principal Dr Sujata Sharma.
“We sent his plasma to Ludhiana and took plasma of ‘B’ positive blood group in return. Using the ‘B’ positive blood group, the plasma therapy has been successfully given to two Covid-19 positive patients who are admitted here. One of the patients is a resident of the city while the other belongs to Pathankot,” Dr Sujata said.
Under the treatment called convalescent plasma therapy, antibody-rich blood plasma of patients, who have recovered from Covid-19, is preserved for transfusion into critical patients. The GMC Amritsar got approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to treat Covid-19 patients with the therapy on June 19.
So far, the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, had conducted the state’s only and successful convalescent plasma transplant.
PLASMA BANK SET UP IN GMCH AMRITSAR
“Plasma bank has been set up in GMCH’s blood bank where plasma of Covid-19 recovered patients will be collected and stored. GMC Amritsar is now part of the Punjab’s plasma pool system through which we will now exchange plasma of Amritsar’s people with medical colleges of Patiala and Faridkot, so that plasma of each blood group can be available to treat patients,” Dr Sujata added.