JAGATSINGHPUR: Humanity can bond as strong as any filial relationship and this was exemplified by a security guard of the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) who saved the life of a 10-year-old thalassemia patient by voluntarily donating blood on Sunday.
Ten-year-old Bibhuprasad Mahal of Maland village under Tirtol police limits has been fighting the disease for some years now and his parents were availing A+ve blood for him from the local blood bank. Since the second wave of Covid-19, the frequency of voluntary blood donations has reduced and parents of Bibhu have been finding it hard to arrange blood.
On Sunday when his condition deteriorated, Bibhu was rushed to the DHH at Jagatsinghpur town where doctors told his parents that his haemoglobin level was critically down to just 5 per cent and he would require immediate blood administration. The helpless parents rushed to the DHH blood bank only to be told that there was no stock.
While waiting near the blood bank, they came in contact with a social activist Saroj Biswal who asked them about their requirement. Realising that there is no A+ve blood in the blood bank, Biswal went round the hospital asking for people having the same blood group who would be willing to donate.
The news reached one of the DHH security guards Pravat Ranjan Behera whose blood group was A+ve. Pravat readily agreed to donate his blood. “If I can save a life by donating some blood, there is no bigger sense of accomplishment and happiness than that”, said Pravat. Thanking him for saving their son’s life, Bibhu’s parents said he was god sent.