HUBBALLI: The
Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (
KIMS),
Hubballi has compiled a century of sorts, treating 102
Covid patients with
plasma therapy until Monday.
Since the
first plasma donation and transfusion on June 28, the hospital said 88 patients who received antibody-rich plasma recovered, while 14 died. This despite
the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) saying convalescent plasma has no effect on treating the disease.
Dr Ramalingappa Antaratni, director, KIMS, said the state-run facility will continue to collect plasma and treat patients through transfusion, regardless of ICMR’s reservations on the line of treatment.
“We have results to show,” Dr Antaratni said. “We have noticed a dramatic improvement in the health of patients who receive the therapy. We believe we have saved many Covid-infected patients. It is up to the government to decide whether to allow the therapy or not in the future, but the results we have got are good.”
Dr Ram Kaulgud, who is in-charge of plasma therapy at KIMS, echoed the director’s views. He said the facility will continue with the treatment until it receives a formal order from the government to stop. He said plasma has been helpful in moderate cases, although it has to be transfused to patients at the right time.
“It did not work in very few patients and in some of these cases the transfusion was done under pressure from patients’ relatives,” Dr Kaulgud said. He said many people are coming forward to donate plasma, which shows “the importance of the treatment”.
Another doctor said the ICMR study was based on limited trials. “ICMR should look at figures of plasma transfusion and recovery rate now,” the doctor said, adding that since cases have dropped, plasma donated will be collected and stored. It can be used for up to one year.