Assam starts plasma bank after Delhi doctor who recovered from COVID becomes first donor

Strengthening its fight against COVID-19, plasma bank started functioning at Assam's Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) on Friday. Health and Family Welfare Minister of the state, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the first donor of plasma in the hospital is a doctor who recovered from COVID-19. This comes after Delhi became the first place in the country where plasma bank became operational. 

READ | India's first Plasma bank becomes operational in Delhi, CM Kejriwal appeals to donate plasma

Taking to Twitter, Sarma expressed his gratitude to the doctor Dr Lithikesh for donating plasma and to the team working at the bank. He also appealed to cure patients to come forward and donate plasma. Amid Opposition's criticism of mismanagement in COVID hospitals, Sarma also visited GMCH and lashed out at them. He accused them of seeding false narrative as a part of systematic campaign to malign the efforts of the Assam government in their fight against COVID-19. Sarma also visited the COVID care hospitals at IIT, Guwahati and the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre.

READ | Coronavirus Live Updates

Assam COVID-19 tally 

As many as 365 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Assam on Friday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 9,799. Of the new cases, 134 were reported from Guwahati city, which falls under Kamrup (Metro) district, where a complete lockdown has been imposed for 14 days from June 28.

Meanwhile, 221 patients have been discharged from various hospitals across the state on Friday. Of the total 9,434 COVID-19 cases in the state, there are 3,090 active patients, and 6,327 have recovered from the disease. Fourteen people died of it and three migrated to other states. 

READ | Assam reports 365 new COVID-19 cases; total mounts to 9,799

India's first plasma bank in Delhi

Delhi's first plasma bank to help treat novel coronavirus started functioning on Thursday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma 14 days after recovery. Addressing an online media briefing, the chief minister issued numbers—1031 and 8800007722 where people can contact for donation of plasma to save the lives of COVID-19 patients.

The government has set up the plasma bank at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. Kejriwal hoped that COVID-19 deaths will decrease due to plasma therapy. Those aged between 18 and 60 and weighing not less than 50 kg can donate their plasma for COVID-19 patients, he added.

Plasma therapy involves taking antibodies from the blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 and transfusing those into a coronavirus infected patient to help kick-start the immune system to fight the infection. 

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