Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 5: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today demanded setting up of a ‘plasma bank’ in Kashmir valley for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
“Many people want to donate plasma, but they don’t know how to. Plasma bank will provide a centralized place for donors to come forward and donate their plasma,” DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan said.
A statement issued here in this regard said that the bank will ease access to plasma and bridge the gap between the donors and recipients.
Dr Nisar said plasma therapy involves transfusing plasma from people who have recovered from Covid infection into people who are very sick with the virus or at high risk of severe disease.
He said that convalescent plasma therapy is showing promising results and has become a ray of hope in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
Dr Nisar said the process of donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour.
“The donor is connected to a cell-separating machine, also called apheresis machine that removes plasma, while simultaneously returning the remaining components (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) to the donor. The plasma can be stored for up to one year in the plasma bank,” he said.
DAK said that plasma can be donated more frequently as compared to blood. It can be donated as often as twice a week.
“While plasma therapy reduces Covid deaths, hospitals in Kashmir are not offering this life-saving treatment to corona patients, as a result precious lives are lost,” said Dr Nisar.
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