Arvind Kejriwal highlights positives of plasma therapy; says death rate reduced in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said plasma has been beneficial in bringing down Delhi's death rate due to COVID-19. Kejriwal was inaugurating the second plasma bank in the national capital at the Lok Nayak Hospital. This development comes two days after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited the facility to review the preparedness and also held a meeting with doctors.

Speaking to reporters, Kejriwal said that Plasma therapy has played a major role in lowering the death rate due to COVID-19 in the national capital.

"Delhi was the first to inaugurate the country's first plasma bank and within days another plasma bank has been set up. Till the time there is no vaccine available for COVID-19, plasma works as an aid to save people's lives. We are not saying that it would save 100 per cent lives but many lives have been saved because of this. Plasma therapy has played a major role in lowering the death rate due to COVID-19 in the national capital," Delhi CM said.

Furthermore, Kejriwal pointed out that the number of positive cases per 100 has also come down from 35 and is now fluctuating between seven and eight cases.

"The death rate has also reduced. In mid-June close to 101 deaths were reported on a daily basis but now that has come down to 40 new deaths on a daily basis. We need to reduce it further," he stated.

READ: Delhi: LNJP hospital likely to start plasma therapy

Notably, Hospitals in Delhi have been directed to appoint nodal officers for requisition, coordination and issuance of plasma from the 'plasma bank' recently set up at a state-run facility.

READ: Pulse oximeters like ‘surakha kavach’, have minimised COVID-19 deaths in Delhi: Kejriwal

Coronavirus in Delhi 

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 1,246 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the city's tally to over 1.13 lakh, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 3,411, authorities said. This is the third consecutive day when the national capital has recorded fresh cases in the range of 1,000-2,000.

Forty fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, the health department said in a bulletin. The death toll from coronavirus infection has risen to 3,411, and the total number of cases mounted to 1,13,740, it said.

READ: Delhi govt directs hospitals to appoint nodal officers for plasma requisition

READ: 1,246 fresh COVID-19 cases take Delhi's tally to 1,13,740; death toll mounts to 3,411

(Inputs: ANI)

(Image credits: PTI)