The patients were treated at Indore's Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS).
Four critically ill COVID-19 patients in Indore have tested negative for coronavirus following successful plasma therapy at the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) hospital amid the debate over efficacy of the treatment among medical practitioners.
One of the discharged patients told NDTV, "The plasma therapy has saved my life. I want to donate plasma for saving lives of other critical COVID-19 patients after successfully completing the 14-day home quarantine period."
Indore district's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Praveen Jadia, said, "At SAIMS, the use of plasma therapy was done on some COVID-19 patients and according to the doctors there, it helped them in the recovery. Plasma therapy would also be used on some coronavirus positive patients at a government-run hospital in Indore soon. We hope that it will help the patients in their recovery."
Dr Vinod Bhandari chairman of Aurobindo Hospital said, "Four patients were admitted to our hospital. They were in critical condition. We gave them all possible treatment but the condition deteriorated. Then we decided to give them plasma therapy. The plasma therapy was administered since April 26 to all four who were on oxygen support due to coronavirus-triggered Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Two of them, were most critical as their lungs were infected and impaired up to 60 per cent but after giving plasma in just two-three days we stopped the extra oxygen. Their X-Ray results showed improvement and now they are discharged."
Last week, amid a surge of hope brought in by the first successful test in Delhi, the central government had said plasma therapy for coronavirus is still in an experimental stage and can even prove "life threatening" for a patient.
Delhi had reported the country's first plasma therapy success story last month. The patient was a 49-year-old man who got treatment at a private hospital.
Plasma Therapy involves transfusion of plasma from a convalescent coronavirus patient to a critical patient. The blood of a convalescent patient is rich in antibodies that are expected to help the critical patient recover.
Doctors have said one donor can donate 400ml of plasma which can save two lives.