Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday tapped into his government’s initial success in treating Covid-19 patients with plasma therapy to foster communal harmony.
In a webcast, the AAP leader said: “People of all faiths and religions are coming forward to save the lives of people belonging to other faiths and religions. What if the life of a Hindu patient is saved by the plasma donated by a Muslim patient who has recovered from Covid-19, and what if a Muslim patient who is serious is saved by a Hindu patient?
“God has created us all equal, with the same features. There are no walls and no differences between us, the walls of religion and faith have been created by us. Corona can infect people of all faiths and religions, and plasma donated by a person, whether Hindu or Muslim or any other faith, can save the lives of everybody.”
The plasma, which has antibodies, is extracted from the blood of patients who have recovered from Covid-19 and used to treat patients in the second stage of the disease — where their lungs are affected — to kill the virus and prevent organ failure.
Kejriwal’s statements came against the backdrop of at least 300 people in Delhi who attended the super-spreader Tablighi Jamaat gathering and have now recovered volunteering to donate blood for extraction of plasma.
Jamaat leader Maulana Saad, who is facing multiple criminal cases for conducting the religious gathering as well as alleged irregularities in funding, had last week appealed to outfit members who had recovered to donate blood. Several people in Haryana and Tamil Nadu have come forward since.
Kejriwal had earlier said the condition of four critical Covid-19 patients was improving after undergoing the therapy last week.
He said on Sunday: “The plasma therapy is showing positive results as of now. I am monitoring each patient. The health of one of the patients in LNJP (Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital) yesterday was sinking. After plasma therapy, his health has improved, and it has also boosted our confidence and enthusiasm regarding plasma therapy.”
Delhi has witnessed a wave of hate incidents, including assault, against Muslims during the lockdown. There have been allegations that the Kejriwal government had not done much to prevent the attacks. The government dropped mention of the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in health bulletins only after a request from the Delhi Minorities Commission.