Srinagar hospital starts plasma therapy to treat patients

SRINAGAR :Sher-i-kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here has started convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) to treat Covid-19 patients, and doctors say the results could be encouraging.

SKIMS is the only referral tertiary care hospital for Covid-19 and other patients.

So far, the plasma therapy has been given to two very sick patients and one of them recovered. Senior doctor Dr Salim Wani, who recently recovered from the disease, donated his plasma early this week to encourage others to do the same.

“SKIMS has started CPT for critically ill patients as one of the modalities of supportive treatment of the deadly infection that has been approved by central government as well as ICMR. SKIMS Institutional Ethics Committee had also given a nod for the treatment. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has also been apprised of the recent developments at SKIMS where critically sick patients received the therapy on compassionate grounds,” said SKIMS director A G Ahangar.

He said Dr Sajad Bhat, a third year resident (general medicine), was the first one to donate plasma at SKIMS, which was done in collaboration with blood transfusion and immune-hematology department.

Stating that recovered patients can be the saviours of humanity amid this crisis, the SKIMS director said, “The patients who have recovered from Covid-19 should come forward for plasma donation. The management team for CPT would screen these donors and the recipients based on the scientific principles of the quantum of the antibodies detected in the donors.”

He said given the surge in cases, CPT has tremendous scope in saving lives.

“This has been debated thoroughly by the members of the recently constituted apex advisory committee for Covid-19 management protocols in J&K,” he added.

The medical institute has also set up a helpline for patients and donors for the plasma therapy.