VISAKHAPATNAM: RB Prakash has been donating blood for the last four decades. He started donating blood in 1982, when he was 18. Prakash, whose blood group is B positive, has donated blood for the 100th time on February 4. Prakash, chairman of Vizag Zone of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry, wants to continue blood donation till the permissible age of 65 years.
It all started when he was a member of Rotaract, youth wing of Rotary Club. He first visited a blood donation camp organised by the club at KGH. Motivated by the blood donors at the camp, he donated blood. “After realising the importance of blood donation, which can save lives of people in a medical emergency, I continued donating blood without any interruption for the past four decades,” Prakash said.
His friends, who are also Rotaract members, formed a group and started donating blood. They brought out a directory containing the list of blood donors, blood group and phone numbers in 1988. “We distributed the copies of the directory to all the important private and government hospitals. We started visiting hospitals and donating blood whenever we would get a phone call in medical emergencies. Subsequently, AS Raja Blood Bank was established 25 years ago,” he explained. In his 40 years of blood donation journey, Prakash said there was a moment which took him by surprise. His wife’s grandmother was one of the recipients of blood donated by him. He came to know about it only after the recipient came to him to thank him. He continues to cherish the moment even now.
One can donate blood four times a year. Every unit of blood donated by a person benefits three people. In fact, blood donation keeps one healthy. Hence, there need not be any apprehensions in this regard. Though the number of blood banks increased over the years with the rise in awareness about blood donation among people, there is a need to promote blood donation in a big way to save lives in medical emergencies, he stressed.
“One can buy anything but not blood. Hence, donating blood, the elixir of life is a noble cause,” Prakash asserted. Around 200 donors in the age group of 18 to 20 years turned up at the blood donation camp organised on February 4, when he donated blood for the 100th time. A majority of them are first time blood donors. Prakash exhorted them to continue blood donation without any apprehensions and hit a ton in blood donation to save precious lives in emergencies.
34-year-old son draws inspiration
Taking inspiration from K Prakash, his 34-year-old son Rohit Kancharla is also donating blood now. Prakash and Rohit are running a 97-year-old logistic services company at the Vizag port. Rohit has donated blood for 45 times so far. Both the father and the son are determined to continue blood donation as they think it is a service to people.