Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Apr 29:Shabir Hussain, 50, a universal donor, has saved more than one hundred lives by donating blood 140 times for last 36 years, prompting doctors to call him ‘the man with the golden arm’ but he is miffed with Health Department for not providing any facilities to blood donors in times of emergencies.
Shabir started this noble case alone but as time passed more donors joined in and at present he is leading 2100 volunteers across the Valley who are available round the clock in case of emergencies for donation of blood. By donating blood at LD hospital this week, he broke his own record of blood donations.
Narrating his journey, Shabir said in 1980, one of his friends got critically injured while playing football and they had to beg for the blood as it was not sufficiently available in the blood bank. All the four friends accompanying the injured took pledge to be blood donors and they have been tirelessly donating blood. “We were already providing first aid services during Moharam processions and we want to continue serving community outside the Moharram as well,” he said.
When there was no mobile phone connectivity in Srinagar, Shabir used to wait for the radio announcements of different hospitals seeking blood.
“Fractions of seconds can make a difference to somebody’s life but here people don’t understand this thing. They don’t even provide us ambulances. We overlook these things because we are doing it for the sake of God and our aim is to help people irrespective of their caste, colour and religion etc,” he said.
Shabir is considered as a hero among his peers, and has won numerous awards. He might have started with four people but a pang for the society helped him to motivate a number of people to join in. After working with a handful of people initially his work was recognised by Red Cross Society, Civil defence and social groups like ‘Athwas’ who guided him and provided technical support to him.
Fayaz Ahmad, who is programme coordinator at Red Cross Society Kashmir, while appreciating his efforts said Shabir is the life member of Red cross.
“I appeal everyone to come for flood donation so that they can save precious lives”. I want to see a blood group labels pasted on either hamlets or on the sleeves of motorists so that doctors do not waste time in checking it in case they met with accidents. There is nothing more precious than a human life,” he said.
Ghulam Hassan Mir, 45, a tailor by profession has also joined Shabir a decade back. His father had blood cancer and large number of people donated blood for him. So far he has donated blood 40 times. He says he is motivating his son who is 10 years old for blood donation.
Dr Shehnaz Teng, HoD Gynecology LD Hospital Srinagar said that every health person should donate blood as human body is like a factory and it has no negative impact on health.
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