Staff Reporter :
For the first time ever, plasma therapy has been used for treating a Covid-19 patient admitted at the Ever Care Hospital in Dhaka.
The patient, who received the convalescent plasma therapy at the hospital, has responded well to the treatment, Dr Abu Jafar Mohammad Saleh, senior consultant and coordinator at Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Department in Ever Care Hospital Dhaka, said on Wednesday.
“We are quite optimistic about this treatment. At present, the patient has been shifted to a room with round-the-clock monitoring,” Dr Saleh said.
The identity of the patient has not been disclosed.
According to hospital sources, the patient is currently under special observation.
The blood plasma provided to the patient was collected from a doctor working at the hospital, who was infected and then fully recovered from the deadly virus.Appreciating this development, Prof MA Khan, head of DMCH’s bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit and department of haematology, said: “We have already discussed this matter. We are also conducting studies regarding this treatment. Now we are waiting to secure ethical permission.
“But private hospitals or other healthcare institutions can use this way of treatment without any ethical permission as anyone can give the treatment that is necessary for a patient following their responsibility.”
The national technical subcommittee for the plasma treatment, formed on April 17, under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS0), has already filed their findings, recommendations and protocol to be in place to the Health Ministry.
“I am hopeful that the government will soon provide approval for this treatment so that it can help our coronavirus patient recovery.
“If Covid-19 patients, during the early stages of the illness, are treated with plasma therapy then their chances of a quick recovery increases. Hope that the unofficial treatment will bring out positive results,” Dr Khan said.
Earlier on April 28, the blood transfusion department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) decided to explore the convalescent plasma therapy option to treat Covid-19 patients and was directed by DGHS to supervise other hospitals across the country in this regard.
“Patients with Covid-19 can donate blood as a donor 14 days after recovery. Antibodies are made in his body at this time. This increases the patient’s immunity and the patient then gets a chance to recover quickly,” added Dr Khan.
Meanwhile, the first plasma donation in the country was made by the DMCH’s Dr Joardar Rakin Manzoor.
As of Wednesday, Bangladesh confirmed 11,719 coronavirus cases with the death toll rising to 186 after three new fatalities were reported.
Till now the fast-spreading coronavirus has claimed more than 259,000 lives and infected more than 3,757,000 people globally, according to Worldometer.
As many as 1,258,552 people have recovered from Covid-19, which has spread to 210 countries and territories across the world.
