Recovered CRPF jawans from 31st battalion donate plasma
New Delhi: At the beginning of the outbreak when jawans in the 31st battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Mayur Vihar started tested positive for the novel Coronavirus in large numbers, they first acted as an alarm bell for authorities, following which the CRPF started mass testing among its forces and identifying possible COVID-19 cases. Now, after 138 of these jawans have beaten the disease, some of them have started donating their plasma to help other critical Coronavirus patients who are in dire need of antibodies to fight the contagious disease.
"Unfortunately we could not save one of our men from the virus," said a senior officer from the battalion, adding that all the other jawans had recovered and resumed duty. 42-year-old Head constable Manjeet Singh is one of the jawans who has now donated his plasma after recovering.
"When I tested positive, I was a bit nervous but senior officers motivated me and told me not to worry," Singh said, adding that he came to know about plasma donation on duty. "I feel proud of donating my plasma. It was a great feeling. Our main duty is to save people which I am doing," he added. A native of Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, Singh joined the force in 2001.
He added, "I want to tell people who are affected with COVID that they should not be nervous as they will recover and should regularly exercise. After recovery, they should donate plasma. It is a lifetime opportunity to save lives."
Another constable Ganesh Kumar who had recovered by May 17 said, "I came to know that COVID-19 patients are on ventilators and need plasma for further treatment so I am just happy that I am contributing to helping people in need. It is just like protecting our country." He added that his family was proud of him. One constable Gurtej Singh of the 236th battalion also donated his plasma.
D-G, CRPF AP Maheshwari said, "In light of the pandemic, the CRPF donned the role of COVID warriors. We have proactively reached out to our brethren and helped in crisis." He further said, "Thousands of our countrymen are still struggling in hospitals. 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."
CRPF Spokesperson Moses Dhinakaran said, "We are also taking the necessary steps to curb the spread of the virus." The cases in paramilitary forces have crossed 3,800 mark and 26 deaths have been reported. Over 2,000 jawans have recovered from the virus. The CRPF has seen over 1,400 cases among its personnel.
