ICMR accords approval to GMC to treat Covid patients with plasma therapy: OP Soni

OP Soni

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given approval to the Government Medical College Amritsar to treat the patients of Covid-19

Chandigarh: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given approval to the Government Medical College Amritsar to treat the patients of Covid-19 with plasma therapy.

Disclosing this here today, Punjab Medical Education & Research Minister O.P. Soni said that the patients infected with coronavirus would be soon treated with the plasma therapy in the Government Medical College (GMC).

Op Soni OP Soni

Divulging further, he said that all the requisite preparedness had already been completed so as to start this therapy within next few days. The Minister pointed out that the GMC Amritsar is fully equipped to provide best treatment through plasma therapy as the institute had adequate infrastructure and sufficient plasma donors for the treatment of Covid patients.

He further said that the GMC Amritsar had been accorded approval in this regard by the ICMR with concerted efforts of Principal Secretary Medical Education & Research D.K. Tiwari, Principal GMC Amritsar Dr. Sujata Sharma, Prof. Emeritus and Member Secretary IEC Dr. Jatinder Singh, Head Transfusion, Medicine Department Prof. (Dr.) Neeraj Sharma and Prof. Anesthesia and Critical Care Dr. Ranjana Khetarpal.

Coronavirus The Minister further stated that the ICMR had already granted approval to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot for plasma therapy under National Clinical Trial and it has become one of the pioneer institutes in the country to initiate this unique therapy. He said that the initial results of plasma therapy at Faridkot had been extremely encouraging.

Under this therapy, the plasma of the patients, who have recovered from coronavirus is preserved for transfusing the same to the critically corona infected patients, who are showing signs marked improvement.

The Minister said that any patient recovered from Covid, whose report (RT-PCR) is found negative, he/she could donate plasma after 14 days as his/her blood contains antibodies, which are helpful to cure the disease.