Two doctors donate plasma to critical Covid patients in Ludhiana

According to Dr Bhanu and Dr Ashish, plasma donation is similar to blood donation and is a half-an-hour long process

Two resident doctors who successfully defeated Covid-19 became life savers as they donated their plasma to critically-ill coronavirus patients in the city.

Two of the doctors who donated plasma at DMCH in Ludhiana on Thursday. (HT PHOTO)

The donors are Dr Bhanu Parkash and Dr Ashish Garg of Hero DMC Heart Institute here.

Plasma therapy is a treatment where the plasma — straw-coloured, liquid component of blood that acts as a transporting medium — from a recovered person is injected into the body of an infected patient. It has been observed that the antibodies present in the cured person’s blood neutralise the virus present in the Covid patient’s body. Thus, the treatment is being suggested for patients who are moderately affected by the virus. Plasma can be donated once in 14 days.

According to Dr Bhanu and Dr Ashish, plasma donation is similar to blood donation and is a half-an-hour long process. A needle is placed into a vein in the arm. Plasma is collected through a process call plasmapheresis and is conducted in cycles, they added.

As per medical superintendent Dr Bishav Mohan, donating plasma will not reduce your own immunity or affect your future antibody levels. “Till now, many few people have come forward for plasma donation,” he said, urging others to do the same for ill patients.