Jammu, Sep 30 (UNI) The Jammu based Government Medical College and Hospital have finally started conducting antibody testing on fully recovered patients aiming to set up plasma bank to treat COVID-19 positives with blood plasma therapy.

While plasma therapy showed some promising results in treating the COVID-19 positive cases, Jammu and Kashmir Government before setting up Plasma Banks in prominent hospitals across the Union Territory, have started conducting antibody testing of the patients recovered from the pandemic and are willing to donate blood plasma.

Jammu and Kashmir administration, likewise many other parts of the country, to treat positive cases with plasma therapy, have agreed to set up Plasma Banks.

Official sources in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu here told UNI, “before giving plasma therapy to the positive patients, ‘antibodies’ testing is to be conducted of the donor and if an accurate level is found in the blood, only he will be allowed to donate plasma.”

“On Tuesday, ‘antibodies’ testing has begun and conducted on around 13 persons including doctors,” sources said and added that to treat COVID-19 positive patients, blood plasma therapy showing promising results and the Government is all set to establish full-fledged Plasma Banks in Jammu as well as in Srinagar hospitals.

“With the help of hi-tech machinery, the ‘antibodies’ testing was conducted and if an accurate percentage of antibodies is found, the donors will be allowed to donate blood plasma for further transfusing it in the infected person in need,” they said.

“The entire exercise was performed under the supervision of the blood bank staff and the plasma will be prepared only after clearance from the blood bank experts conducting anti-bodies testing,” they added.

Sources further said that in the first phase, the Plasma Blood Banks will be established at Government Medical College and Hospitals Jammu and Srinagar and SKIMS Srinagar.

“It is a combined project of NRHM, biochemistry and community medicine,” they said adding that one machine is already available with the GMC Jammu hospital but it is required to be conducted on a wider scale, so one more machine will be procured in coming days,” said an official.

Meanwhile, the government has already issued directives to the hospital authorities to maintain the record of COVID-19 positive patients, who had recovered successfully so that they can be approached with an appeal to donate blood plasma.

“As per directives, nobody will be forced to donate plasma but we will appeal to them so that infected patients, whose plasma level drops suddenly during treatment, can be treated timely and precious lives can be saved,” he added.

Pertinent to mention here, that the plasma therapy involves transfusing plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 into people who are still struggling with the virus.

UNI VBH RHK1125