Dr Kiran emerges as ray of hope for patients in need of blood DONATES BLOOD FOR 50TH TIME

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: She has been just a phone call away when it came to donating blood for saving a life. Being a medico, Dr Kiran Sharma knows what it means for a patient and his or her attendants when they are in need of blood.
“Those are the critical moments, when the kin of patients see humanity existing even at the present-day materialistic age and flowing in good measure when a donor turns up and donates blood without asking”, Dr Kiran Sharma said after donating blood for the 50th time on Saturday at a camp organised by the Department of Health and Medical Education at Government Women College, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu in connection with World Blood Donors Day.
She described today’s donation as a special one for which she kept waiting since 1987 when for the first time Dr Kiran donated blood at her college in Rohtak. She was studying medicine and therefore no apprehensions which a young girl would normally feel at that point of time. “Then it became just a passion for me and the people around me since then know that when anyone is in dire need of blood, Dr Kiran is just a phone call away”, she said with a satisfying smile after donating the blood. In a way, she was a sort of inspiration for the medics and para-medics who were conducting the camp. Presently awaiting orders for adjustment in the Directorate of Health Services, Dr Kiran Sharma has remained posted in premier health institutions of Jammu. She has been quite agile in social activities also, environment being her major concern. This may be because of her environmentalist husband Dr O.P Sharma Vidhyarthi, an IFS officer and author. Dr Kiran Sharma waited for today for quite a long. Donating blood for 50th time was an excitement, which nothing else might have imbibed in her. She, however, says that her highly satisfying moments were those when she donated blood during medical emergencies when someone needed it on priority. During one of the camps, organised by the army, she donated blood to a Muslim lady in Bhadarwah, apart from doing so when on duty also irrespective of caste, creed or colour.
“I have never tried to know who the needy is but I have always known whosoever it may be, he or she needs me the most”, Dr Kiran Sharma said, hoping that blood donation becomes way of life for the youngsters. She says she has all along been telling young people that if they want to have most satiating moments in their life, try to donate blood.
“It has really worked”, she said while recalling that whenever any referee turned up after donating blood, they expressed their gratitude to me. She said she will continue to donate blood as long as she is eligible to do so.
Hailing from picturesque Bhadarwah, the message of Dr Kiran Sharma to young people is to donate blood, at least once. She believes that blood should not be given only in the event of medical emergencies but it should be a routine affair. “After all, we always need reserves in the Blood Bank to meet exigencies like accidents, tragedies and in case of dire need of those under critical care”, Dr Kiran added.