Come forward to donate plasma, Director SKIMS appeals recovered Covid-19 patients

Srinagar Jul 10: Director S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Dr A G Ahangar on Friday appealed recovered COVID-19 patients to come forward to donate plasma for Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) for infected patients.
The appeal by the SKIMS director comes a days after the hospital conducted the first ever CPT for COVID patients -- a medical procedure doctors are using to treat novel Coronavirus diseases across the globe.
Dr Ahangar said that the recovered Covid-19 patients are the traumatized warriors, who too can help the administration in fighting and defeating the novel virus. “All the COVID-19 positive recovered patients can be the saviors of humanity amid this crisis,” Dr Ahangar said.
The Director said that SKIMS authorities are issuing an appeal to the public at large to come forward for plasma donation from those who were detected COVID-19 positive and recovered from it.
“The management team for this CPT would screen the donors and the recipients based on the scientific principles of the quantum of the antibodies detected in the donors,” he said.
He said given the increasing surge in the detection of positive patients as well as the ones reporting for treatment, this CPT has tremendous scope in the line of management for saving the precious lives that have been debated thoroughly by the members of the recently constituted Apex Advisory Committee for Covid-19 Management Protocols in the Union Territory of J& K.
“SKIMS issues the appeal to the Public at large, professionals and all others willing to contribute in this direction to come forward and donate Plasma for saving the Human lives,” he said.
He said recovered COVID-19 patients can contact, Dr Farooq A Jan, Medical Superintended, SKIMS at 9419415196 and 9622457636; Dr GH Yattoo, HOD Hospital Administration, Nodal Officer, COVID-19, SKIMS at 9419415342 and 9797095342; and Dr Romana Makhdoomi, Head, Blood Transfusion & Immuno-Hematology Department at 9419081223.
Assistant Director Public Relations SKIMS Kulsoom Bhat on Thursday said off-late SKIMS has started Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) for critically sick patients as one of the modalities of supportive treatment of this deadly infection that has been approved by Government of India as well as ICMR.
“The Institutional Ethics Committee of SKIMS also approved the institution of this Treatment. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has been apprised of the recent developments in Convalescent Plasma Therapy at SKIMS wherein three critically sick patients received Plasma Therapy on compassionate grounds,” she said.
Dr Sajad Bhat, a 3rd year PG resident from General Medicine—who recovered from the illness was the first one to donate the Plasma for this noble cause at SKIMS that was started in collaboration with Blood Transfusion & Immuno-Hematology Department.
“This mode of treatment is being enhanced and more and more of the manpower is being adjusted for this service, based on the clinical judgment and the status of the patients in need of such treatment. This treatment in itself has some advantages, though very little disadvantages if any, but it has to be carried out meticulously,” she added.