Kashmir is lucky to have a saviour woman blood donor who has set a glaring example of social service and stands ready at crucial times to donate blood for the needy.
She is Bilqees Ara, a blood donor from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district who has been donating blood for the past 10 years and has donated 31 times so far.
An ASHA worker at a health centre at Gundchabotra village in Kupwara she said she first donated blood in 2012 to her cousin, who was pregnant and was in dire need of blood.
“I had accompanied my cousin to the hospital where doctors said she needs blood. There was no male donor present that time. That is how I donated first time,” she said.
Bilqees, a mother of three children said once her child who was ailing in a hospital needed blood and she donated that time too.
She said most of the women in her area suffer from anaemia and are often in dire need of blood when they deliver their child. “I always stand ready to donate blood. I am donating it just to save precious lives as people are in distress when they need it,” she said.
Bilquees said two years ago, there was an expecting lady from her area who was admitted in Srinagar’s Lal Ded maternity hospital who needed blood immediately.
The blood donor was informed about it at 11 p.m. Bilquees along with her husband drove to Srinagar during the night and donated blood for the patient. Her blood helped make that recovery possible.
Besides being a blood donor, she is also an active campaigner for the cause as well.
“I always advise people to donate blood. There is still a social stigma attached to it when it comes to females. I am happy that many women call me and they donate as well,” she said.
Optimistic Bilquees is satisfied being part of the cause. “If I save a life by donating one pint, it gives me pleasure. I want to donate till my last breath,” she says.
Bilquees is a regular blood donor at District Hospital Handwara where she has donated blood more than twelve times so far. She has also donated blood at Sub District Hospital Kupwara and LD Hospital Srinagar on several occasions.
“Whenever a patient needs blood, officials at Blood Bank at DH Handwara call me. I try to make myself available as quickly as possible to donate blood,” she said.
Bilqees said her determination has also motivated her husband, a teacher, who is also a blood donor. She is encouraging women in her neighborhood to donate blood.
The ASHA worker played a vital role in vaccinating people in her area during COVID-19 and she was at frontlines and motivated people to come forward and go for the vaccination.
During 2014-15, Government Medical College, Srinagar conducted a study titled ‘Gender Differences in Blood Donation’ among donors of Kashmir which had found that females contribute only 4.44% of blood while blood donation by males was 95.56% in J&K.
Dr Javaid Iqbal Khan, a hematologist at Srinagar’s Lal Ded hospital who also handles the hospital’s blood bank said there is no government protocol for blood donation.
“Those who donate blood, it regenerates among them. Donors need to eat an iron-rich diet. They should also eat fruits, meat and vegetables,” he said.
Khan said a male can donate four pints while a female can donate three pints in a year.
“If someone donates more than four pints, it can cause anaemia. Any person below 18 can’t donate blood, it is a crime,” she said. “In India, 65 is the upper age limit. The best age is 60. In developed countries, the upper age limit for the donation is 75,” he said.
