Making 100th donation, a milestone for Goa's blood man
Panaji: For Sudesh Ramakant Narvekar, blood donation started of as an immediate response to save an accident victim's life, but he has since helped thousands in need and recently donated blood for the 100th time.
Popularly known as the blood man of Goa, the 51-year-old has donated blood during medical emergencies over the last three decades and reached the 100th milestone last week.
The resident of Ponda in South Goa donated blood for the first time when he was 18 to save the life of an accident victim at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and has been performing the selfless act for the last 33 years.
Talking to PTI at the office of his NGO Sarthak, Sudesh said, I was returning to Ponda from Sanvordem when I saw a man lying in a pool of blood while his wife was crying for help. We rushed the injured man to the hospital and I waited with his family for hours and even donated blood. At that moment, I realised the importance of helping people in emergency situations.
The Indian Red Cross' general secretary Subash Salkar said, Sudesh is the only person in Goa to donate blood for the 100th time, and it must be rare feat in India.
Sudesh started donating blood twice a year till he was 20, but later started attending the camps whenever possible to help people in need and even organised 130 such camps and made donations in cities such as Bengaluru, Pune, Hubli and Belgaum in neighbouring states.
Sudesh launched his NGO Sarthak with 10 of his friends in 2019 and started holding camps across the coastal state. The organisation now has a team of 30, including doctors.
We have held 90 camps at the GMCH. We have also held camps for Manipal Hospital and Victor Hospital in Goa, Sudesh said.
People are often reluctant to donate blood initially out of fear or some apprehensions or the other. But after making a contribution for the first time, they then volunteer without any hesitation in the subsequent instances, he said.
There was also an increased response from women in Goa for donating blood, Sudesh said, adding that the gap between two blood donations for women is four months, while for men, it is three months.
