Post-encouraging results, Rajasthan to use plasma therapy on critical virus patients

After encouraging results from the plasma therapy, the Rajasthan government on Wednesday said it will be used for the treatment of critical coronavirus patients.

The state authorities had conducted a trial of the therapy on two patients admitted to Jaipur's Swai Man Singh Hospital.

Under the therapy, antibodies from the blood of a recovered patient are used for the treatment of those in a critical condition.

Health Minister Raghu Sharma said, The SMS hospital has become the first hospital in the state where a successful trial of the plasma therapy has been conducted on two patients. After positive results, we are now formally beginning its use for critical patients.

Dr Sudhir Bhandari, Principal of SMS Medical College, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) gave nod for clinical trials while the Drug Controller General of India gave permission to use it in therapeutic treatment.

We got the permissions on Monday after which we started a clinical trial of the plasma therapy on the two patients who started showing good results. Their fever and breathlessness disappeared. Their blood reports started becoming normal, Dr Bhandari said.

After a successful result of the trials on two patients, we have started using it in treatment. The COVID plasma therapy is one of the effective methods of containing the coronavirus complications, he said.

Dr Bhandari said that there is no side effect of it and it can used for patients with mild to severe complications.

Along with the standard protocol of treatment, when a patient is given this therapy, it has a documented advantage, he said.

He said there are three patients at Jaipur hospital whose condition is on the border line and if their health, the therapy will be used for them.