PATNA: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, has begun clinical trials for convalescent plasma therapy from Monday to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has already given its nod to the state government for the therapy.
Dr PK Singh, director of AIIMS Patna told this newspaper that a team has been set up to carry out the plasma therapy on a trial basis. “We have received the approval from the ICMR to conduct it as a clinical trial. The team of doctors have to report the positive and negative effects of plasma therapy to ICMR,” Singh said.
AIIMS-Patna is contacting patients, who have completely recovered from the Covid- 19, for the therapy. Singh said the technique is to use cured patients’ plasma (blood containing antibodies to fight the virus) and transfused in critical patients, who are on ventilation or whose immune system cannot fight the virus.
He added, “We will initiate the therapy as soon as we get the donor. This has to be a voluntary donation from the patients who have recovered from the disease.”
Dr Neha Singh, blood transfusion officer at the department of transfusion medicine and blood bank, AIIMS- Patna, said “Any Covid- 19 cured patient who wants to donate blood will have to come thrice to the institute.”
She added, “Their samples of swab or nasal have to test negative twice and they have to wait for two weeks quarantine to be over only after which their blood will be collected for plasma convalescent donation. It is the guideline of the ICMR that we have to follow, so that we are 100% sure that the donating person is not affected with Covid-19.”
Singh said there were very few patients at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Patna, who need plasma therapy. “The plasma can be collected and stored for a year after that we have to destroy it. So far, no one has contacted the institute for the donation,” she said.
For plasma donation people can contact: 9993028936, 9599274710, 8102483253, 8505864856.
Dr PK Singh, director of AIIMS Patna told this newspaper that a team has been set up to carry out the plasma therapy on a trial basis. “We have received the approval from the ICMR to conduct it as a clinical trial. The team of doctors have to report the positive and negative effects of plasma therapy to ICMR,” Singh said.
AIIMS-Patna is contacting patients, who have completely recovered from the Covid- 19, for the therapy. Singh said the technique is to use cured patients’ plasma (blood containing antibodies to fight the virus) and transfused in critical patients, who are on ventilation or whose immune system cannot fight the virus.
He added, “We will initiate the therapy as soon as we get the donor. This has to be a voluntary donation from the patients who have recovered from the disease.”
Dr Neha Singh, blood transfusion officer at the department of transfusion medicine and blood bank, AIIMS- Patna, said “Any Covid- 19 cured patient who wants to donate blood will have to come thrice to the institute.”
She added, “Their samples of swab or nasal have to test negative twice and they have to wait for two weeks quarantine to be over only after which their blood will be collected for plasma convalescent donation. It is the guideline of the ICMR that we have to follow, so that we are 100% sure that the donating person is not affected with Covid-19.”
Singh said there were very few patients at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Patna, who need plasma therapy. “The plasma can be collected and stored for a year after that we have to destroy it. So far, no one has contacted the institute for the donation,” she said.
For plasma donation people can contact: 9993028936, 9599274710, 8102483253, 8505864856.
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