I got a call for a blood request.
27 Dec is my birthday when I usually donate blood, so I thought to donate blood a day before.
I reached hospital, donated blood, handover the donor card to the person who called me and he was gone with that card.
I took mandatory rest of 5-10 minutes after donation and as I took a half day leave, so I decided to meet the family.
I went up to the ward, met the wife of the patient and introduced myself to her. She said âBhaiya aap yaha kyon aaye ho, humne toh paise se diye hai (why you came here, I have made the paymentâ.
I was surprised as there was no payment (or processing fees) required in that govt hospital for admitted patients for blood.
I called the guy but he didnât responded my call and then switched off. I realised that I have been cheated.
I went to authority but they were also helpless to do anything.
As the blood I donated was given to the patient it was supposed to go, the money that person took was in cash, so no proof to file any case.
As it was hard to arrange cash (during demonetisation), I thought to give whatever I cash I had to that lady.
So I went to the ward but she was not there. There was a Bengali lady who told me that she took her husband for few tests.
While waiting I started talking to that Bengali lady.
I was shocked and broken to hear that the lady who paid for my blood got into prostitution to pay medical bills for her husband.
I couldnât believe and I kept the cash under the pillow to left the hospital.
I was driving back and while in tears I called my wife.
She told me not to cry, as if I can do anything in this case there is no point of crying and if I canât do, then my tears are not going solve anything.
That was the day, I decided to leave my well paying job and work on blood donation only.
The black marketing of blood was happening due to shortage of blood supply.
We just need to have atleast 5 million more blood donors to solve the blood shortage across India.
During COVID19, we all saw the worst side of blood donation during Plasma crisis.
People were making excuses for not going to donate blood or plasma.
Whereas the same people were standing in queues outside wine shops after the lockdown.
And then I realised that itâs not a systematic problem, it was an attitude problem of all of us.
There is no point to celebrate blood donor day as it was irrelevant for most of the days.
Thatâs when I decided to walk across India to wake up our nation to donate blood and make sure thatâŚ
âNobody should die waiting for blood after 31st December 2025â
Last night I got a voice message (for birthday wishes) from that same lady who changed my life.
She lost her husband to cancer in 2018 and I helped her to come out of brothel by getting her a job. She is now happily married.
I promised her, that I will do whatever possible to end blood shortage, so that no other lady had to see what she went through.