The Delhi Health Minister has said about 5,000 COVID-19 patients have benefitted from plasma therapy thanks to a facility for its storage at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

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He was addressing an audience virtually during the 11th foundation day of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), where the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister had also joined in through video conference. "ILBS took the lead when Delhi was badly hit by COVID-19, and did 1,000 RT-PCR tests a day at times. Then, CM opened a first-of-its-kind plasma bank there. And, thanks to ILBS, about 5,000 patients have benefitted from it," the Delhi Health Minister said, adding it was a "remarkable feat".

The health minister, a COVID-19 survivor, had in October told reporters that plasma therapy saved his life. The first plasma bank of Delhi was opened on July 2, 2020 at ILBS in south Delhi. After that another bank was opened at LNJP Hospital, then a dedicated coronavirus facility. The health minister had tested positive for COVID-19 in June and was hospitalised. He was later administered plasma therapy at a leading private hospital here, following which he had recovered and later also urged others to donate plasma.