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A first-of-its-kind initiative by a community service organisation to collect blood plasma for Covid-19 patients and those suffering from chronic conditions will kick off at the end of this month.
The aim is also to raise awareness about convalescent plasma therapy which uses blood from people who’ve recovered from an illness to help others.
The Rotaract Club of Bahrain (RCB) plans to kick off its Project Life campaign on August 26 from noon to 6pm, partnering with the BDF hospital and other medical facilities, with the hopes of providing the sanguine fluid to those in need.
“Plasma can be used in a number of treatments, especially of chronic conditions like sickle cell disease,” RCB’s new president Tanima Chakravorty told GulfWeekly.
“Through this campaign, we also want to raise awareness about the benefits and process of donating plasma.
“We are working with local hospitals to utilise their plasmapheresis machines and collect the fluid, which will then be used to create protein therapies for patients in need.”
Plasmapheresis is the process of collecting blood, similar to a blood donation, which is then separated into liquid plasma, a yellowish liquid, and red blood cells and other cellular components.
The red blood cells and other cellular components are combined with a saline or albumin solution, which is then returned to the donor’s body.
In some cases, plasma from those who have recovered from Covid-19 with high antibody levels can be used to help those still fighting the disease.
“In Covid-19 cases, it has been found that blood plasma donations, by those who recovered from Covid-19, have helped many patients who were severely affected by the illness,” said AMH’s General Surgeon, Dr Sanjay Gupta. “While the recovery could be definitely better if the donor and the recipient are those exposed to the same variant of the virus, we can say that even if the variants are different, it has helped Covid-19 patients in the early stages of their treatment.”
The Project Life campaign is the first of three key initiatives planned by the new RCB executive committee, which took the helm in July, led by Tanima.
Tanima was previously the RCB vice-president and, along with past president Sanket Kothari, led campaigns recognised for their innovation amongst Rotary clubs across the region.
Amongst its numerous laurels, the club’s ‘Shukran Bahrain’ graffiti project won the top Community Service Project prize, while its Art for Autism was recognised as the best Fundraising Project.
This year, Tanima plans to spearhead a mental health support programme focused on the young and a project to improve access to safe water and environmental sanitation for poor and vulnerable communities in Ghana.
“Our theme this year is ‘Stronger, Together’ and our mission is to connect, inspire and support our communities,” Tanima, RCB’s first female president, added.
“The past year has taken its toll on all of us and the pandemic continues to ravage countries around the globe, so we want to further develop tools and support mechanisms that can help us overcome these challenges, both physically and mentally, while continuing to be compassionate global citizens.”
Alongside Tanima as members of the executive committee, will be Sanket; Ali Dashti, vice president; Julia Vasiliauskaite, secretary; Hishang Kewalram, treasurer; Hassam Hameed, sergeant-at-arms; Suzanne Abdullah, community service director; Suad Khoury, club services director; Kareem Nada and Rania Al Hashimi, professional service directors; Razan Jamal and Enas Zahran, international services directors; as well as Hassan Follad, youth service director.
For more details, follow @rotaractbahrain on Instagram.
