JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has announced the start of plasma therapy for critically ill Covid-19 patients from Monday. The announcement came after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) permitted SMS Hospital to carry out the therapy under strict protocol.
The state has been pressing for ICMR nod to use plasma therapy after it showed encouraging results in the beginning of the pandemic in the state. In a video conference, Gehlot said that the state was keen to use the therapy on coronavirus patients in critical condition as directed by the ICMR. “The state is ready to use this therapy as per the rules in the state,” he said.
The doctors at SMS Medical College have been conducting research on the therapy from the start of the outbreak. Plasma therapy aims to use the antibodies of a person, who has recovered from Covid-19, on coronavirus patients who are critically ill.
The team of doctors have already identified plasma donors to start the therapy. The treatment is for patients in conditions from moderate to severe. State health minister Raghu Sharma had sought ICMR's approval on April 24.
Rajasthan has among the highest number of coronavirus patients in the country, but one which has the highest recovery rate too. Till Sunday, the state has reported 2,832 virus cases, with 915 discharged from hospitals.
This will give the doctors a very big pool of recovered patients whose plasma can be harvested. A recovered patient can donate plasma once a week for four weeks.
Menawhile, to speed up Covid-19 testing in the state, Gehlot has imported two machines with a capacity to test 4,000 samples at a time from the US. The government has also decided to purchase RNA test kits themselves.
The state has been pressing for ICMR nod to use plasma therapy after it showed encouraging results in the beginning of the pandemic in the state. In a video conference, Gehlot said that the state was keen to use the therapy on coronavirus patients in critical condition as directed by the ICMR. “The state is ready to use this therapy as per the rules in the state,” he said.
The doctors at SMS Medical College have been conducting research on the therapy from the start of the outbreak. Plasma therapy aims to use the antibodies of a person, who has recovered from Covid-19, on coronavirus patients who are critically ill.
The team of doctors have already identified plasma donors to start the therapy. The treatment is for patients in conditions from moderate to severe. State health minister Raghu Sharma had sought ICMR's approval on April 24.
Rajasthan has among the highest number of coronavirus patients in the country, but one which has the highest recovery rate too. Till Sunday, the state has reported 2,832 virus cases, with 915 discharged from hospitals.
This will give the doctors a very big pool of recovered patients whose plasma can be harvested. A recovered patient can donate plasma once a week for four weeks.
Menawhile, to speed up Covid-19 testing in the state, Gehlot has imported two machines with a capacity to test 4,000 samples at a time from the US. The government has also decided to purchase RNA test kits themselves.
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