Suraj Kumar (26), a security guard at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), played good Samaritan and donated plasma to a 50-year-old Covid-19 patient late on Friday night.

Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan and RIMS officials have hailed Kumar’s gesture, saying he led by example at a time when with the district administration wasn’t getting enough donors despite conducting several awareness programmes.

Kumar’s A+ plasma was administered to the patient on Saturday.

Kumar, who is a resident of Palamau’s Hussainabad area, tested Covid positive on July 24 while on duty at RIMS. He recovered on August 10.

“Last night, while on duty at the cardio thoracic & vascular surgery (CTVS) department, I learnt that doctors were in urgent need of A+ plasma. I volunteered to offer. After mandatory tests, I was able to donate,” he told the media.

RIMS guard Suraj Kumar (26) receives a certificate of appreciation from officials for donating plasma in Ranchi on Saturday. Telegraph picture

Kumar added that he felt good after the donation, conceding that he did not remember when he donated blood the last time. He, however, said that he would now donate blood as it was a noble cause. “I realised the importance of plasma and blood donation during the ongoing Covid crisis. I have decided to routinely donate blood in future to help the needy,” he said.

The pandemic had impacted his family in several adverse ways, including denting his own earnings, Kumar said. After testing positive for the virus, he had to suffer a salary cut for the days he was off duty for treatment. “We are daily wagers and even a loss of one day’s salary counts for us. I have to run a family of seven, including my wife and mother,” he said.

Ranchi district administration on Saturday announced the third round of its special drive to conduct Covid-19 tests from September 16. The drive would be conducted through the district and end on September 18.

Deputy commissioner Ranjan said testing would be done using rapid antigen kits at markets, slum areas, hotels and eateries for early tracing of cases. “We are targeting 15,000 samples through this special drive,” he said.

As per the state government’s bulletin on Friday night, Ranchi has witnessed 12,562 Covid cases since the outbreak, of which 3,811 were active. Eightyfive patients have died.