Home / Health / 40 Years of Giving: One Man's 299 Blood Donations
40 Years of Giving: One Man's 299 Blood Donations
14 Jun
Summary
- Harish Patel has donated blood 299 times over four decades.
- Ahmedabad is considered India's blood donation capital.
- World Blood Donor Day theme is 'One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.'
Harish Patel, a coordinator with the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation in Ahmedabad, has dedicated nearly four decades to blood donation, amassing 299 donations. His journey began in February 1985, supporting children requiring regular transfusions due to thalassemia major. Patel, along with his family, has consistently donated whole blood and components like platelets and plasma.
The city of Ahmedabad is widely recognized as India's blood donation capital, holding records for the most centurion donors and the highest per-capita donation rate. This World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14, focuses on the theme 'One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.'
Patel's organization has collected approximately 78,000 units of blood over four decades. Physics teacher Harmit Shah, a convener for Gurukrupa Foundation, also contributes significantly, with the foundation facilitating over 5,000 units through camps. Shah emphasizes the personal satisfaction and the impact of blood donation in transforming lives, encouraging more people, including women, to donate.
