Delhi Government to set up ‘Plasma Bank’ at ILBS, the First Plasma Bank in India

To treat COVID-19 patients, on 29th June 2020 Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was announced that a ‘Plasma Bank’ will be set up at the National Capital in the next two days. The Plasma Bank will be set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

At the Delhi Government’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, 35 people have been administered with Plasma Therapy out of which 34 have survived. In order to meet the demand of Plasma, the Chief Minister has urged cured COVID-19 patients to come forward and donate plasma.

Plasma Therapy

• A person who has recovered successfully from the COVID-19 infection can donate his/her plasma. 
• In the case of COVID-19, Convalescent Plasma is used to transfer antibodies to the patient suffering from the COVID-19 virus. 
• This helps the patient’s body to develop similar antibodies for fighting the COVID-19 virus.
• Trials with Plasma Therapy conducted to date have shown positive results. 
• The patients suffering from the virus at the second stage have either a decline in oxygen levels or the respiration levels have increased. 
• In both cases when the patient was given Plasma therapy, the levels have shown improvement.
• Plasma donation does not cause any weakness in an individual. 
• A person can donate plasma again in a gap of 10 days.