COVID-19: CRPF urges recovered personnel to donate plasma, save lives

New Delhi, Jun 30 () The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has urged its personnel who have recovered from coronavirus to be good samaritans and donate their blood plasma to save lives of others infected persons, officials said on Tuesday.

CRPF Director General (DG) A P Maheshwari has written a communication to the troops of the about 3.25 lakh personnel strong paramilitary force to become the agents of happiness for those who are suffering from the disease.

The CRPF, as per latest data, has a total of 1,219 coronavirus cases, out of which 655 have recovered and 555 are under treatment.

"In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CRPF donned the role of COVID warriors. We have proactively reached out to our breathren and helped in crisis."

"About 1,000 of our personnel contracted the disease. More than half of them have also recovered by now. But thousands of our countrymen are still struggling in hospitals. We can help them in their fight against the virus by donating plasma," the CRPF chief said.

He also mentioned the name of three jawans of the force -- constables Ganesh Kumar, Manjeet Singh and Gurtej Singh -- who "voluntarily donated their convalescent plasma recently to save COVID-19 patients."

"Those of our warriors who have defeated the virus themselves can help some of our fellow countrymen defeat the virus as well by donating plasma."

"It involves a simple procedure with no cost attached. It will earn the donor a life-time of satisfaction of having saved somebody's life. Just think over," the DG wrote to his personnel.

Official data shows that the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) or paramilitary forces of the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB and two other central forces of NSG and NDRF have had over 3,300 cases of the pandemic.

Out of these, over 2,000 personnel have been cured and about 1,300 are under treatment at various health facilities across the country.

Plasma therapy involves a minor medical procedure where the blood of a person who has recovered from the disease is taken as the person has developed antibodies against the virus.

The donated plasma helps a coronavirus infected patient to better fight the disease by developing enhanced levels of immunity.

For a person who wishes to donate plasma, he or she should have tested negative for COVID-19 at least two weeks before the donation.

These central forces, with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, render a variety of security duties, law and order management, border guarding, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations and disaster rescue and relief under the command of the Union home ministry. NES TIR TIR