NE NEWS SERVICE
CUTTACK (ORISSA), OCT 3
Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday donated plasma at the Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College in Cuttack after recovering from Covid-19.
Donated plasma at SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack today. It is immensely satisfying to do my bit towards the fight against the #COVID-19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/OWMk5VzHA7
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 3, 2020
“It is immensely satisfying to do my bit towards the fight against coronavirus pandemic,” said Pradhan in a tweet. He is the first Union Minister to have donated plasma, after battling the deadly respiratory disease for nearly three weeks.
After donation, he urged people to come up and donate plasma, as well, saying it would save “precious lives” in the pandemic and ensure patients’ well-being.
In a tweet on Saturday, Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan appreciated the initiative Dharmendra Pradhan in donating convalescent plasma. She said the minister’s good gesture will be a role model for others as it will create awareness of plasma donation to save many more lives, she added.
Appreciate your initiatives in fighting #Covid_19 by convalescent plasma donation. Your good will gesture as a role model after recovery is highly commendable as it will create awareness of plasma donation to save many more lives. https://t.co/aHJLzh8pUb
— Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (@DrTamilisai4BJP) October 3, 2020
Antibodies produced by the immune system of a recovered Covid-19 patient aid in the recovery from the disease. Plasma is the largest liquid portion of the blood. It contains many nutrients, hormones and proteins required by the body to stay healthy.
Convalescent plasma is plasma collected from a person who has recovered from an infection recently. Plasma collected from those who have successfully beat Covid-19 contains antibodies developed against the virus and could possibly help others fight the infection.