Fifty-eight-year-old Gopi Mohan Patnaik has donated blood a staggering 131 times. He holds blood donation camps 12 times a year. This year he held a blood donation camp on the occasion of his birthday, February 21 and collected 179 units. He collects an average of 200-250 units every three months and contributes around 2,000 units to blood banks every year. A report by Rashmi Rekha Das
To donate blood, as they say, you don’t need a special reason to furnish; you just need to have your own reason. The most satisfying act of donation is obviously giving something that you own – in this case not property, riches, wealth but something without which we can’t live. The very urge to donate drives city-based blood donor Gopi Mohan Patnaik who has donated blood to countless strangers.
Voluntary blood contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply. You will feel good to know after donating that you have helped an individual in dire need and crisis. Patnaik thinks exactly likewise and be it the dead of night or midday Gopi Mohan popularly known as Gopi Bhai is always there to donate.
Patnaik has been donating blood since 1979. He makes sure to donate blood once in three months. He loves donating, as he puts it to “save lives”.
ACCIDENT AND AFTER
Gopi Mohan donated for the first time when he was only 21 and is still going strong. When asked about the reason that motivates him to donate blood, Gopi Mohan says a road mishap changed his mindset and made him realise the importance of blood.
“I can’t recall the exact date but it was 1979 when I along with my friends had gone to register our names in the office of the employment exchange, as there was no scope for government jobs unless you got your name registered with the office in those days. On our way home we found traffic at Raj Bhawan Square, was held up due to a road accident. When I inquired, I got to know that a matador van met with an accident and the passengers boarding were seriously injured with a few having already passed away. They were taken to Capital Hospital. I also rushed to the hospital to take stock of the situation. A woman passenger was writhing in pain and her condition was critical. A doctor advised her relatives to arrange for blood. As I was standing there her relatives approached me and asked me what my blood group was. When I said mine was B+, they literally begged me to donate blood for the patient. But my reply was no as I had a misconception that I would die if I donated blood. However, the doctor convinced me and I gave blood to that woman. That day I could not sleep. I ate whatever I felt like because I was feeling as if death was nearing. When I returned home I told everything to my mother who scolded me saying ‘I have grown up you for this’. I took water-rice for dinner and went to sleep at 7.30 pm. I was taken aback to see myself alive after waking up the next day. I felt much more relaxed. I was completely cured of my misconception regarding blood donation. The next day when I visited the hospital the patient’s relatives as well as the doctor thanked me for saving her life. It was the moment I decided to donate blood to every needy and hapless patient.”
The incident made him realise that blood is a precious gift that saves human lives and donation is a most remarkable noble act of service to humanity. All healthy people have the sacred duty to ensure that safe blood is available in adequate measure in all the hospitals of the country.
Patnaik who is a physical education officer at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), makes it a point to visit Capital Hospital everyday and arrange for blood for the penniless.
So far 58-year-old Patnaik has donated blood a staggering 131 times. He holds blood donation camps 12 times a year. This year he held a blood donation camp on the occasion of his birthday, February 21 and collected 179 units. He collects an average of 200-250 units of blood every three months from the camp while he collects around 50 units from family blood donation camps. This way he contributes to blood banks, says Patnaik. Moreover, he has held camps in Chennai, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Banaras.
A resident of Parlakhemundi, Gopi Mohan also motivates college students and youth to donate blood. He presents mementos and certificates to those who voluntarily participate in the camps. Besides, his family members also donate blood on a regular basis.
“We need to build a vibrant, active social movement to raise awareness amongst the people about the importance of donating blood by motivating every healthy person to come forward and give blood voluntarily and regularly. If a person donates blood, that amount of blood is replenished in the body in three months. Thus one can rest assured that a person would not become anaemic by giving blood regularly provided the individual is physically fit and healthy,” says Patnaik.
ETCHED IN MEMORY
A state-level hockey player during his younger days, Patnaik narrates a few memorable incidents. Once during his visit to Capital Hospital he found a pregnant woman was groaning in pain while an elderly person was sitting beside her. When he came to know from the man that the lady needs blood, he agreed to donate and save her life. Similarly, he has saved a beggar’s life.
He also helped cure an elderly person who was ditched by his children. That elderly man suffering from some ‘incurable’ disease underwent operation after Patnaik helped him. When the elderly man recovered completely, he bought two bags full of vegetables to his house. Patnaik, however, did not receive them as he believes that service to mankind is service to God.
He cries silently when he finds himself helpless for not being able to help a patient. Recently, he found a youth vomiting blood who was undergoing treatment at Capital Hospital. Doctors had expressed their helplessness as far as saving the patient’s life was concerned who, they said, was in the last stage. “Though I was standing there, I was helpless. It made me cry,” says Patnaik.
He has adopted five thalassemia patients and has been giving blood to them regularly. Inspired by him, six of his family members have started donating blood.
WHAT A MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARY!
People do many things on their marriage anniversary day. But Patnaik dedicates the day to the service of mankind. He holds family blood donation camps every year, July 4, to mark his marriage anniversary. Besides, he organises blood donation camps at colleges and hospitals like KEC, CET, OUAT, Kar Clinic, Sparsh Hospital and Vivekananda Hospital every year.
AWARDS NOT IN MIND
When asked about how many awards he has received for his noble service till now Patnaik started a search for the awards at his residence as he had not kept the certificates and citations in a proper place. “I have forgotten where I have kept the many certificates,” he says. He managed to find a few certificates, though, he had received from NIYA, Governor SC Jamir and ex-Governor Chandrakant Bhandare.
MEMORABLE MOMENT
“My mother was angry when I donated blood the first time. But it was she who inaugurated my first blood camp. She felt herself a proud mother after realising the nobility of giving blood,” says Patnaik when asked which were the moments he would always cherish.
Not only is Patnaik passionate about giving blood, he even drives to others to donate. He would immediately strike a conversation with a stranger by asking the question “How much blood have you donated?”
APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT
His mission is to educate and create awareness among people to donate blood. When he meets someone he can’t help but bring the question of donating somehow into the conversation and he has friends and family members who whole-heartedly support him.
“God has gifted me blood. I feel myself blessed if I can save others’ lives by donating blood,” he says. Patnaik has decided to celebrate Annie Besant’s birthday by organising a blood donation camp this year.
Patnaik feels the government should come up programmes and campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation. “Donors should be given grace marks during job interviews. Blood donation certificates should be made valid during appointments,” he says. Patnaik’s aim is to the visit rural pockets across the state along with his wife Ashalata and create awareness among people so that they can actively participate in blood donation camps.
PROUD WIFE
When asked what was it about her husband that she dislikes, Patnaik’s wife Ashalata says, “I feel proud of him. He never asks for money or anything from anyone in return. Whenever he gets a call or comes to know that someone needs blood or any sort of help he leaves home without a moment’s delay. Sometimes, I get angry as he comes late. But I realise that he is not wasting his time, rather serving the needy.”