Blood Transfusion Authority pleads recovered patients to donate plasma

KARACHI: Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) on Tuesday urged patients who had recovered from coronavirus to step forward and help the doctors by donating their blood plasma, ARY News reported.

Director SBTA, Naz Jamal, has appealed recovered patients of COVID-19 to extend help in the fight against coronavirus.

The official said that plasma therapy helps a patient to avoid assistance of ventilator.

According to health officials, plasma therapy have encouraging results in treatment of COVID-19.

Recovered COVID-19 patients could contact on telephone number 333+92 2976390 for plasma donation, Director SBTA said.

It is to be mentioned here that clinical trials of the process is being carried out under the supervision of Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority.

Renowned haematologist Dr Tahir Shamsi earlier said that 14 coronavirus patients initially infused plasma had no side effects of the therapy.

Dr Shamsi, who had proposed the treatment of coronavirus patients through passive immunisation, said that from 14 patients given plasma therapy, 12 were not needed ventilator support.

Dr. Shamsi in an earlier talk with ARY News, said that very few recovered patients are coming, to donate their blood plasma, which is required to save the patients.

He assured that plasma donation to COVID-19 patient was safe and secure procedure as the donor has to undergo multiple checks before donating their blood plasma.

Dr Shamsi said that plasma donation was so safe that a person who had donate his or her plasma earlier could again donate it after three weeks without feeling any weakness.

It is pertinent to mention here that plasma therapy for the treatment of coronavirus patients initiated at the hospitals on May 10 after the government allowed to carry out clinical trials of passive immunisation process.