India
is today running 10% short of its total blood requirement. In absolute terms
this shortfall is over 12 lakh units a year. This deficit is surprising even
when the eligible donor population of India is more than 512 million. But way
back 1982 a visionary of Odisha foresee the shortage of blood supply which our
nation was heading for. At individual level he took the initiative to create
the public awareness for doing blood donations.
In the year 1986 he setup a
society by the name Tyaga to meet the need of acute shortage of blood for the
sick and the injured persons across Western Odisha. The man behind this great
cause is the visionary and the philanthropist Durga Padhi. Despite being a
lawyer by vocation during mid 80’s of the last Century he able to foresee
a burning issue which even no doctor or any physician of Odisha able to sense.
It
is worth to note how Durga Padhi was at all inspired to undertake such a great
cause to pursue as an ambition for this life of His. He recalls an event of his
college life. It was the year 1982 then he was a student of Intermediate (10th+2). He got
to know that a relative of his barber was sick and with urgency seek infusion
of blood. He along with one of his friend by the name took the bold step.
Without telling their parents they went to the District Head Quarter Hospital
at Sambalpur to donate blood. They fear to talk about it because donating blood
was considered to be a social taboo. On donating blood Durga Padhi got a whole
spoon of glucose powder that was provided by the hospital authority. He was
happy to swallow the sweet powder at one go. But while returning home
both friends had a sense of accomplishment. They reached home and went up stair
to chitchat in his room. In the mean while Durga Padhi heard the entrance gate
of his house banged. When he looked outside the window he saw his father was
furiously shouting, Where is Durga? His father was a man of anger and strict discipline. His
friend hide beneath the bed. His father reached his room with a stick. He asked
only one question, did you went to hospital to donate blood? When Durga lowered
his head, his father started beating rampantly all over his body. Durga started
sobbing with pain on his abdomen, thigh, buttock and the chest. His mother
rushed to rescue her son from the wrath of his father.
Next
day after college both friends went to hospital to meet the patient. Durga felt
serene when he saw smile in the face of the patient. But unfortunately the
recipient of the blood could not survive. His friends taunted at them saying
their blood is bad, that is why the patient expired. This event made a deep
impact in the life of Durga Padhi. He set a clear goal to live a meaningful
life.
For
these long 31 years Durga Padhi is working relentlessly to generate public
awareness to donate blood. Until now his society Tyaga has organized six
national workshops for Voluntary Blood Donors Organizations. That apart Tyaga
has organized several State level workshops on the burning issue of shortage of
blood and to recruit blood donors. It has also successfully organized Western
Odisha’s 1st ever mega blood donation camp where a record number of 952 units
were collected in a single day under one roof. Former Chief Minsiter Hemanada Biswal attended this event as the Chief Guest.
 |
| [Durga Padhi could be seen standing at the centre on the left it was Hemanada Biswal and on the rright its poet Padmashree Haldhar Nag] |
Besides
this red revolution in the liquid form mentioned above, Tyaga has provided succour
to the poor and destitute people during the time of their treatment at Veer
Surendra Sai Medical College and Hospital. At many instances of calamities it
has rendered rescue and relief operations as well.
On individual capacity he lay 93 times on hospital bed to donate blood. One
who works for the society without any selfish motive sooner or later ought to
be recognized. In the year 2008 Tyaga has been felicitated with the Governor’s Award
and in the year 2016 it bagged State Award.
WhatsApp# +918249314972
E.Kiran
Mohan(The writer)
C/o.Dr.E.R.Rao(M.D)
Main Road
At/PO : Barpali-768029
Dist.Bargarh,Odisha, India
No comments:
Post a Comment