MONTH ON, NO PLASMA THERAPY AT AMRITSAR MEDICAL COLLEGE

AMRITSAR: No critically-ill Covid-19 patient was given plasma therapy at Amritsar’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Amritsar, in the past one month.

Plasma therapy is considered as one of the most successful treatments for Covid-19 patients. Under the convalescent plasma therapy, antibody-rich blood plasma of patients, who have recovered from Covid-19, is preserved for transfusion into critical patients. In June, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had allowed Government Medical Colleges (GMCS) in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala to treat Covid patients with plasma therapy.

Till August 5, four critically-ill patients of GMCH, Amritsar, and two of GMCH, Faridkot, were treated through plasma therapy and all six had recovered from the virus successfully. However, in the last one month (from August 5 to September 5), seven more Covid-19 patients at GMCH, Faridkot, were treated through plasma therapy while GMCH, Patiala, also successfully infused plasma of recovered patients into 10 critical and sick patients. As per the GMCH staff, the hospital is struggling in getting plasma from the donors as most of the Covid survivors are reluctant to come back to the hospitals for donation. Till August 5, the GMCH, Amritsar, could persuade only four donors to give plasma. Also, GMCH, Amritsar, is a part of the Punjab’s plasma pool system through which the hospital can exchange plasma with medical colleges of Patiala and Faridkot.

Dr Avtar Dhanju, head of Covid-19 isolation ward of GMCH Amritsar, said, “We have some units of plasma available with us but most of the patients are being admitted to the hospital in extremely sick condition. No patient was eligible as per ICMR’S guidelines for getting plasma from recovered patients.”