Nagpur: A
doctor saves life of a
patient not only with his medical expertise, but also with every possible means. One such episode happened at
Alexis Hospital in the city recently. Dr Amol Dongre, medical oncologist and
bone marrow transplant physician, donated
plasma to save a 47-year-old
woman, who had contracted Covid-19 infection.
Dr Dongre had earlier treated this patient, hailing from
Madhya Pradesh, for blood
cancer. In 2018, the patient was given six chemotherapy cycles followed by an autologous bone marrow transplant. Following this, the patient used to report for review every three months. In September this year, the patient was again admitted to Alexis Hospital with severe symptoms of
Covid infection.
As transplant recipients take immunosuppressive drugs, they have a higher risk of infection from viruses such as cold or flu. “Transplant patients can remain vulnerable to infections, hence special precautions are always necessary even against a common cold,” said Dr Dongre.
“Because of the vulnerability, bone marrow transplant patients must follow Covid restrictions strictly and also take greater care to safeguard their health,” he added.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Nitin Shinde and pulmonologist Dr Manoj Pethe were monitoring Covid pneumonia of this patient. “We advised her to take two units of plasma in view of her deteriorating clinical condition. Following this, Dr Amol Dongre went the extra mile and came to the woman’s rescue by donating plasma for her
treatment,” said Dr Shinde.
The patient recovered within 20 days of hospitalization with no co-morbidities. She was discharged recently.
According to doctors, transplant patients should also be aware and cautious of the people around them, the people they live with. “When you have a bone-marrow transplant, you’ve been given a brand new immune system, which must learn how to fight off infections all over again. So, it needs special care,” said Dr Dongre.
After her recovery, the patient said Dr Dongre is just after the almighty God for her. “He saved my life twice and I will always be thankful to him until my last breath,” she said. Her husband had all praise for Alexis Hospital and doctors there for saving his wife from life-threatening situations twice. “The commitment of the doctors in treating their patient even in such risky situations must be appreciated,” he said.