Haryana achieved a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19 on Friday with the opening of the fifth plasma centre of the state in the city of Panchkula.
The new plasma centre, which is located at the Civil Hospital in Sector 6 of Panchkula city, was inaugurated by Speaker of Haryana Assembly Gian Chand Gupta.
Gupta, while addressing the media acknowledged that the number of COVID-19 infected patients has increased in the Panchkula district since the last few days.
He added, "Till now the treatment was done with oxygen and steroid systems, but both these systems are not effective in the treatment of severely infected patients. Plasma therapy is required for this."
Gupta further added that many valuable lives will be saved by launching a plasma centre in Panchkula. For this, the speaker a.lso expressed special gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
In the absence of a vaccine, research has proved plasma therapy to be one of the most effective systems for the treatment of COVID-19. Severely suffering patients are treated with this therapy.
According to Dr Saroj Aggarwal, Consultant at Civil Hospital in Panchkula, an anti-body remains in a body even after patients recover from the COVID-19 infection. It can be used to cure another patient even after 28 days post the recovery of the patient. In plasma therapy, plasma containing anti-body enzymes called IgG (Immunoglobulin G) is transmitted in another patient for the treatment.
The doctor also informed that the plasma donated by the patients recovered from COVID-19 infection can be stored in the plasma centre at a temperature of minus 40 degrees, and can be used for one year.
Gulshan Kumar, a resident of Rajiv Colony in Panchkula voluntarily donated the plasma at the newly inaugurated plasma centre today.
( With inputs from ANI )