india

Updated: Apr 22, 2020 00:27 IST

Tablighi Jamaat chief Muhammad Saad who has been under fire for the congregation that it organised in Delhi last month and which fuelled a spike in Covid-19 cases in the national capital and other parts of the country, called on members of his organisation on Tuesday to donate blood plasma for those still infected and under treatment.

“During this time of crisis it is important to take care of people’s needs, food and essentials items and to enquire of their well-being especially the poor and needy. But an even greater responsibility that we have at this time is to save the life of a sick person and expend our own life and wealth so that he/she can be cured of a terrible disease,” Muhammad Saad said in an appeal to Tablighi Jamaat members.

“It is required that such people who are now cured of this disease should donate blood plasma to others who are still fighting the disease and are under treatment,” he said.

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India’s total number of infections has reached almost 19,000 and over 600 have lost their lives to Covid-19.

Muhammad Saad who was booked by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering last week, is under quarantine.

Last week, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government had received the go-ahead from the Centre to start trials for plasma enrichment technique. If successful, plasma enrichment can be used to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

Plasma enrichment technique entails taking blood plasma from a person who has recovered from Covid-19 as it contains antibodies which, when transfused to a sick patient, can boost immunity and help in recovery.

There is currently no cure for Covid-19 and convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure.