Haveri: Blood is the lifeline of the body. It is difficult to imagine the body without blood. In many situations the body faces scarcity of blood, and that’s when blood donors come handy.
We observe now and then about the blood donors. Many people come forward to donate blood to save others lives. We have also heard about person or group into donating blood. However here is a town named Akki Alur in Haveri District where 700 volunteer blood donors are found.
It is surprise to us but its true. This place is known as ‘army of blood soldiers’ with even the neighbouring districts calling it by the name. The volunteers team is led by Karabasappa Gondi working as Police Constable in Adur Police Station. The group was started 2015, and currently it has over 3,000 active members across the State who regularly donate blood or blood components that help patients suffering from anaemia, cancer, thalassemia and other blood-related disorders. They also help people when they are met with accidents and those who have lost blood during deliveries.
Speaking to NewsKarnataka Karabasappa Gondi said, ”During my wedding we brought awareness regarding afforestration and eye donation. On this basis, I got a call by a person in 2014 who asked me to spread awareness on blood donation. As a result I began this group.”
Recalling an incident wherein a lady became pregnant after 20 years of marriage and was in need of B-ve blood, Gondi said that one of their donorsnamed Rakesh Undavalli donated blood to her. “After some day we got call from the lady that she has named her son as ‘Rakesh’. This was really a sweet reward that came out way.”
Another incident that Gondi recalled here was that, 17-year-old girl who was a rape victim and got pregnant by that heinous crime, during her delivery needed A+ve blood and we were able donate blood to her. It was the most satisfactory moment to us. Everyone thinks that Police are inhuman, and thus we would like to prove here that police also have humanity.
Gondi and his team have created whatsapp group and facebook page under the name ‘ Sneha Maithri’. This group has conducted 57 blood camps. And they have travelled over 27 villages in Hangal Taluk to spread awareness about blood donation and tried to eradicate myths among villagers. On their 50th blood donation camp, the transgenders came forward and donated blood. The group includes students, traders, government employees, and a seer. A person named Chandrakanth K. V., an engineer with the Ministry of Defence, who has donated blood about 244 times. Karabasappa Gondi has donated blood over 50 times. The group has even converted NWKRTC bus into a mobile awareness vehicle. Recently the group renamed a bus stand as “Blood Donors Hometown Akki Alur”
