Facilitating lakhs of blood donations across Telangana
Online Blood Donors group evolved into a movement of sorts in the last decade, having facilitated lakhs of blood donations all over Telangana
Hyderabad: It was in the year 2011 when a friend’s father needed several units of blood for a surgery that Krishna Agarwal, a student at the time, donated blood for the first time and that instance eventually led to the starting of Online Blood Donors (OBD) group on social media. In the ten years since its inception, the group has evolved into a movement of sorts, having facilitated lakhs of blood donations all over Telangana.
“In that instance, we were able to arrange for several donors as the person needed 30 units of blood and I realised if we could do that easily, then we can do it on a bigger scale if organised. We started the Facebook group and began by connecting donors to requests,” says Krishna, who currently works as a Project Engineer at RCI. “The group grew vastly in the decade. We currently have a core team of about 30 members who facilitate and coordinate in every district of the State,” he says.
One of their biggest challenges is creating awareness and dispelling myths about blood donation.
“There are many fears about blood donation and people also feel their health will get affected if they donate blood. Though this has reduced a lot now, we did spend a lot of time counselling people and explaining that blood donation won’t affect their health,” says the 35-time blood donor.
In addition to connecting blood donors to the ones who request for blood for accidents or surgeries, OBD also conducts camps for Thalassemia patients. “Most of our blood donation camps are specifically for Thalassemia patients who need a blood transfusion every few days. We tie up with other NGOs to provide blood for the patients,” Krishna says.
Additionally, OBD also provides for platelets and other such requirements, including providing rare blood groups like the Bombay Blood Group. “We were able to do all this just by coordinating on social media, without any funding or a website or even a logo. This is testimony to the fact that you can help people if you just have the will to,” he shares.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, the group has also facilitated hundreds of plasma donations, through their vast network of potential donors. “In the last 10 years, we have built a vast database of blood donors and we have a list of at least a lakh donors. In the pandemic, we were able to facilitate plasma donations in the hundreds and were able to help people out,” adds Krishna.
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