Delhi sets up plasma bank amidst questions on the efficacy of the treatment

NEW DELHI: In a bid to enhance the corona-fighting infrastructure of the city, Delhi Government has set up a plasma bank at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Science. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Delhi, while addressing an online press briefing, said that hospitals will have to approach the plasma bank to get the facility.

The state government, further, would encourage people who have recovered from the disease to donate blood. For this purpose, a separate helpline would be set up to cater to the queries related to the donation of plasma.

The decision of the development of the plasma bank was taken after the government had conducted trials on plasma therapy and results were encouraging, Kejriwal said. However, the Centre has issued precautionary advisory over this and questioned its efficacy, which is yet to be established. The National Blood Transfusion Council has issued new guidelines on blood transfusion, a part of which said that there has been no evidence of the efficacy of convalescent plasma as a treatment modality.