BHUBANESWAR: A noble deed by a Good Samaritan and a traffic constable proved humanity reigns supreme no matter how tough the times are. Dhirendra Thakur, the president of Lifeline Charitable Trust and traffic constable Rohan Kumar Swain, posted in the Capital city, came to the rescue of a seven-year-old boy, suffering from Thalassaemia, and whose father is battling Covid.
Priyanshu, the son of Madhusudan Behera of GGP Colony here requires blood twice a month. Before Priyanshu underwent a surgery for an infection at a private hospital in the city on April 17, Thakur helped him arrange blood. “My son lost blood while undergoing the surgery and further tests confirmed he was suffering from Tuberculosis. We started searching blood for my son but were reluctant to bother Thakur again,” his mother Subhadra told TNIE.
Once Thakur got to know of Priyanshu’s condition, he immediately contacted Swain, whose blood group is O negative. Swain donated a unit of blood to Priyanshu at Capital Hospital on April 27. The couple said Thakur came to their rescue at a time when his father is battling with Covid-19 at private hospital in the city. Thakur said his father’s oxygen level is low and blood sugar high. He said owing to his father’s condition, there was a delay in arranging blood for Priyanshu. “But, I will keep trying to arrange donors for the child as he is young,” he said.
Thakur had also come to the rescue of 63-year-old Swarnalata Sahoo, who is admitted at a private hospital here for a double valve replacement surgery scheduled on Friday. Swarnalata’s son Ashish Ranjan said she requires three to four units of blood and Thakur has already arranged one unit. “We also received help from another individual, Shiv Kumar who arranged a unit for my mother,” he said.
Swarnalata’s blood group is B negative and her family benefited from the benevolence of Good Samaritans in the city. Another person from Sambalpur whose mother is admitted to Capital Hospital too has come in contact with Thakur. “I work in Bhubaneswar and my mother, Prema Harpal resides in Sambalpur. Her body parts have swelled. Amid rise in Covid-19 cases, I got her admitted to Capital Hospital and am looking for a blood donor for her,” he said.