Satyendar Jain tested coronavirus positive on June 17 (File)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 in a private hospital, has been cured of the deadly infection and will be discharged today. The AAP leader was given plasma therapy last week after he developed pneumonia and had breathing trouble.
"Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain tests negative for COVID-19, to be discharged from hospital today," his office was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Mr Jain had tested positive for the highly contagious infection on June 17, days after he was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) in the national capital after running high-grade fever and suffering sudden drop in oxygen levels. He had first tested negative for the virus. His second test, however, was positive. "Today my COVID test found to be positive (sic)," he had written on his official Twitter account.
He was shifted to Max Hospital's Saket facility in south Delhi after his condition worsened. He was put on oxygen support. His health improved after he was subjected to plasma therapy, an experimental procedure.
A team of senior doctors from a few government and private hospitals were monitoring Mr Jain's condition, news agency PTI had reported.
Before Mr Jain, AAP MLA Aatishi had also tested positive for the virus. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier this month tested coronavirus negative.
Plasma therapy involves transfusion of plasma from a convalescent coronavirus patient to a critical patient. The blood of a convalescent patient is rich in antibodies that are expected to help the critical patient recover. The centre had said there was "no concrete evidence to support plasma therapy as coronavirus treatment."
Mr Kejriwal today said the Delhi government has received permission to administer the therapy to 200 patients in the national capital. He said the procedure will help in reducing the mortality rate.
Delhi has overtaken Tamil Nadu and Mumbai in terms of total coronavirus cases. The national capital is the second worst COVID-19 hit state in the country after Maharashtra and is suffering from an acute shortage of hospital beds.