Highlights
- 'Lohitanjali', a week-long plasma donation drive began on September 10
- Several junior doctors and jawans had contracted COVID-19: Health Minister
- Many have recovered and are now coming to donate plasma, informed Mr Sarma
Guwahati: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday (September 10) inaugurated ‘Lohitanjali’, a week-long plasma donation drive at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital in Assam. The drive was organized by the Junior Doctors’ Association along with the National Health Mission (NHM) Assam. “Several junior doctors and jawans in the Assam Rifles had contracted the virus. Many have recovered and are now coming to donate plasma. Assam is reporting about 2,500 new cases so I am very grateful to these youngsters for their initiative,” Health Minister Sarma told ANI.
The JDA, GMCH in association with @nhm_assam organized a Plasma Camp at #GMCH, under their campaign #LOHITANJALI, to help in effective treatment of #COVID19 patients. I congratulate JDA and wish them the very best. I thank donors from Assam Rifles and the medical fraternity. pic.twitter.com/WT70kTLLcu
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 10, 2020
Also Read: Assam’s First Sero-survey Gets Underway, Here’s Everything You Need To Know About It
Dr Kumar Jyoti Deka, a member of the Junior Doctors Association, said plasma therapy had become quite effective in treating coronavirus patients with moderate symptoms.
Plasma therapy has become quite effective in the treatment of milder cases. We have all come out here today to spread awareness about plasma donation and to encourage more people to come out, Dr Deka said.
“I have come here with my fellow jawans to donate plasma after recovering from COVID-19. I commend this initiative by the young doctors and the government and am excited to be a part of this drive. It will make us very glad if our small donation saves even one life,” Pankaj Chhetri, a jawan from the Assam Rifles said, adding that he was accompanied by 13 other jawans.
With 2,265 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, Assam now has a total of 29,166 active cases.
The state has witnessed 1,03,504 recoveries and 396 deaths due to COVID-19.
Also Read: COVID Fighters: After Beating COVID-19 This 45-Year-Old Lab Technician Donates His Plasma
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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