The volunteers who give a new lease of life to others
At a time when the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) plans to undertake blood donation drive at the local railway stations, a 50-year-old Sanjay Bapat, comes forward voluntarily to become the ambassador for blood donation and awareness.
Bapat has donated blood 56 times and also donated blood platelets more than 200 times since 1992. According to the civic health officials, he is the only Indian who has donated platelets 218 times in the last 23 years and still counting.
Often people fear of going to hospitals particularly when it comes to donating blood.
However, there are few individuals who undertake earnest efforts to dispel such fears. Here come these two men - Mehul Doshi and Sriram Joshi who have donated platelets 156 times and 50 times at the Tata Memorial Hospital as the cancer patients need the blood platelets more than ordinary patients.
Bapat, a biomedical engineer by profession, said that by donating blood platelets can give life to a person who are in actual need of platelets.
“The donation of blood platelets is far less compare to the donation of the blood. Now a days the demand for blood platelets has increased in the city but still people are scared to donate. I have also motivated more than ten people for donating blood platelets,” said Bapat.
On a daily basis, 1000 units of blood is actually needed, so that it can be used to give some other patients. “We fall short of 200 units per day as people are still not aware that by donating blood they can save the life of someone. These three man have also come forward for donating their platelets whenever there is a need and also motivated many people to come forward to donatte blood,” said Dr. Padmaja Keskar, Executive Health Officer, BMC.
Mehul Doshi, working in stock market, started donating blood since the year 1983 and has also motivated many people to come forward and donate blood.
“I feel blessed that I am able to help doctors to save a life. It has been 34 years and 68 times I have donated to various hospital in city. Since 2011, I have donated blood platelets 156 times in the Tata Memorial hospital,” said Doshi.
Doshi futher stated that he is donating blood platelets for supporting the cancer patients in several ways. “The joy of giving platelets is great and gives lot of satisfaction as by donating blood it will save life of other person who is in actual needs of platelets,” added Doshi.