Covid-19: Searching for a plasma donor? Delhi Police to the rescue
A group of constables have turned messiah for those who are in need of blood, plasma and platelets. Through a Facebook group, these Delhi Police personnel have come together, and are rising above their call of duty.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the efforts of Delhi Police in curbing the spread of virus have been widely appreciated. And a group of constables from the force has been burning the midnight oil, to provide blood, plasma and platelets, to patients from various parts of the nation.
Delhi Police Jivendayani (8800660677) — a Facebook page that connects people in need to police officers who can donate blood or plasma — is the brainchild of constables Ravinder Dhariwal and Amit Phogat, who are posted in the sixth battalion and outer district respectively. “We have been coordinating for blood and platelet donors since 2017... But during the pandemic, our work became even more pronounced since many people couldn’t go out to donate. So we arranged for platelet donation for cancer patients, plasma for Covid patients and blood for accident patients as per the requirement,” says Dhariwal, who has himself donated blood 61 times, so far.
Going beyond their call of duty, do they end up making their families feel worried about their health? Probably yes, but it’s the thought of serving the human kind that often echoes in their conscious. Phogat recalls, “Pandemic mein families bolti thi ki jab koi bahar nahi ja raha, toh tumhe kya zarurat hai. But main yehi bolta tha ki yeh toh farz hai hum Police walon ka, logon ki madad karna!”
The duo has successfully connected hundreds of police personnel around the city. “We have been doing this for a while, so blood banks, hospitals often have our numbers, and they provide our contact to those in need. Then we circulate the message among our colleagues, who go and donate whatever is required,” says Phogat, who has donated blood and platelets 73 times, a recent donation being the one to a cancer patient.
The Police personnel associated with this group, provide donations free of charge. “We have arranged for donation of 200 units of plasma and over 800 units of blood in the Covid year. Yeh kaam toh hum bas apni responsibility samajh ke kar rahe hain. Kisi ki madad kar payein, isse bada sukh kya hai,” adds Dhariwal.
Commando Ashish Dahiya, of Delhi Police, is another inspiring cop, who has donated his blood 99 times! He shares how his entire family cautioned him against donating blood initially, but are now big supporters of this cause. Helping people from other states, who are in the Capital for medical help, alongside dispelling rumours about blood donation, he says, “I once saw a young man die due to unavailability of blood at a hospital. It stayed with me, and made me learn more about donating blood. Ever since then, my primary aim has been to help patients who come here from other cities and may not have any contacts for help... People often believe that donating blood can cause weakness in them, and in the pandemic many didn’t venture out to help others. So we tried to make them aware about how safe it is to donate blood.”
Dahiya’s work inspired Shankar Lal Rar, Head Constable, Delhi Police, presently posted in outer district’s Narela Police Station. “Ashish was the one who explained the concept of blood donation to me, and even in the pandemic, we have gone out to help anyone who needed it, especially during the lockdown. I recently donated platelets, for the thirty sixth time, and many from Delhi Police, who had recovered from Covid, donated plasma multiple times to others; even if it means travelling long distances after their shift,” says Rar, confessing, “We’ve full support of our seniors, but we aren’t part of this to seek praises. We do this, out of humanity!”
Author tweets @bhagat_mallika
