NEW DELHI: At least 10 members of Tablighi Jamaat, who have recovered from coronavirus infection, have donated their plasma to be used for the treatment of other COVID patients admitted in city hospitals.
On Sunday, teams from Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), which handles the collection of plasma—the liquid portion of blood—collected four units from the Narela quarantine facility and six from an isolation centre set up in Sultanpuri, Delhi.
The institute has formed three teams for plasma collection from isolation centre attached to a quarantine facility. If required, donors can be taken to ILBS, said a sub-divisional magistrate.
“As devouts are fasting due to Ramzaan, the collection process begins in the evening after they break their fast. Today, 40 donations are scheduled at Narela and Sultanpuri. It is a time-consuming process, which may continue past midnight,” said a government official privy to the development.
Over 200 devout belonging to Jamaat, staying in different quarantine facilities in the national capital, had agreed to give plasma to help others after Tablighi head Maulana Muhammad Saad issued an appeal through an audio message.
More than 2,300 Jamaatis were evacuated from Delhi’s Nizamuddin in March and 1,080 of them were tested COVID 19 positive. Since then, they are in quarantine at different locations.
A Jamaat member, who is quarantined at Sultanpuri and helping the administration in plasma collection, said several of his colleagues had come forward to donate plasma.
“We are following the request of Maulana Saad hence decided to volunteer our services for the protection of mankind. On Sunday, 20 members had registered themselves for donation. However, only 10 were found to be medically fit for plasma extraction,” he said.