Hyderabad: A 24-year-old human rights student who recovered from Covid-19 is the first person from Telangana to donate his blood for the human trials of plasma transfusion to cure Covid-19 patients. The trials are being conducted at Gandhi Hospital.
In what is known as convalescent plasma therapy, an experimental procedure approved by the Indian Council for Medical Reserach (ICMR), plasma extracted from the blood of a recovered Covid-19 patient is when injected into a current patient. The anti-coronavirus antibodies found in the donor plasma can potentially boost the patient's resistance to the virus.
However, there is no guarantee of success in this line of treatment, which is being tried out at several locations in India and abroad.
Akhil Ennamsetty from Warangal, who is studying for an LL.M. degree in human rights law from the University of Edinburgh, returned from the United Kingdom on March 19, and was diagnosed with Covid-19 at Gandhi Hospital when he volunteered for a check-up.
Akhil Ennamsetty recovered after two weeks. Full of praise for the staff of the hospital, Akhil said people should not be ashamed of contracting this virus. “We should know how to deal with it and how to conquer it,” he said.
He said he wants to educate people that it is not only a physical fight but also a mental fight. There must be more awareness among the public about the disease. “I feel good that I am giving something back to society. It is every human being’s duty," he said
“I think the government should sensitise people rather than make them more scared of this virus. I request the government to consider the frontline health care workers, to identify they great work. They are working on a contract basis and are paid just Rs 8000 per month," he said.
