COVID-19: Recovered police commandos to donate blood plasma
- By Web Desk -
- Jun 03, 2020
KARACHI: DIG Police Maqsood Memon Wednesday called on renowned haematologist Dr Tahir Shamsi to offer donation of blood plasma of police commandos recovered from COVID-19, ARY News reported.
The police officials who have recovered from the coronavirus were also accompanied with DIG (Operations) Maqsood Memon in the meeting.
Twenty Special Security Unit (SSU) commandos of Sindh Police who have recovered from the coronavirus have opted to donate their blood plasma, the DIG informed Dr. Shamsi.
Initially, the first batch of eight police commandos will donate their blood plasma, DIG said. All police commandos, who have recovered from coronavirus, will donate their plasma, he said.
Plasma therapy boosts chances of revovery in coronavirus patients by 80 percent.
Dr. Shamsi in the meeting said that 120 patients have been infused blood plasma so far, and 80 percent of them have recovered to health.
He informed police officers that treatment of coronavirus patients with blood plasma has been underway in all four provinces of Pakistan.
Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazl Pechuhu earlier said that passive immunization has yielded positive results.
Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) recently urged patients who have recovered from coronavirus to come forward and help the doctors by donating their blood plasma.
Clinical trials of the process is being carried out under the supervision of Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority in the province.
Dr Tahir Shamsi, who had suggested the treatment of coronavirus patients through passive immunisation, has earlier said that very few patients who regained health are coming, to donate their blood plasma to save the patients.
He had assured that plasma donation to COVID-19 patients was safe and secure procedure as the donors have 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.