LHC hears petition against sale of recovered COVID-19 patients' plasma

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday took up a constitutional petition against sale of plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients, ARY News reported.

A bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan directed the provincial health secretaries to appear in person on the next hearing to explain the situation and adjourned the hearing till June 23.

Advocate Arshad Virk moved the petition stating that plasma of recovered coronavirus patients is being sold in violation of the relevant laws that prohibit the sale of blood. The sale of plasma is tantamount to a mockery of the laws, he argued.

The petitioner pleaded with the high court to impose a ban on the sale of plasma.

Read More: NDMA decides to treat coronavirus patients via plasma therapy: Dr Shamsi

Earlier this week, the Ministry of National Health Services, taking note of plasma sale, had decided to take strict action against all those people selling plasma in the country.

The health authorities issued guidelines about plasma therapy treatment for COVID-19, urging people not to pay donors as the treatment was still “an experimental therapy”. The illegal trade of plasma started after the government allowed its use for the treatment of CIVID-19 patients.

Read More: ‘Islamabad Plasma Registry Initiative’ launched: Dr Hasan Orooj 

It came to the fore that a mafia in Punjab is minting millions of rupees by selling blood plasma of recovered patients of COVID-19