112 and counting: Donating blood every three months, this bureaucrat inspires many

Rajan Shukla, 56, principal secretary, Civil Defence, donates blood every three months, inspiring many others and continuing a ‘drill’ that has been part of his life since 1980 when he first became a blood donor at the age of 18. In a span of 38 years, Shukla, now an IAS officer, has donated blood 112 times.

On Tuesday, a day after ‘Voluntary Blood Donors Day’, he arrived with a group of 130 donors from the department, including his minister Anil Rajbhar. The doctors including those at the blood bank of Lucknow’s Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and RML Institute, were ecstatic.

“We always look for voluntary blood donors and passionate celebrity volunteers are always more than welcome,” said Dr DS Negi, the director of Lohia hospital.

Rajan’s brother Rajarshi, a judicial member of the Consumers Court, was among those inspired by the bureaucrat. For Rajarshi, Tuesday’s blood donation was his 51st. For Rajan it was the 112th time , possibly the highest ever for a bureaucrat.

“I guess we are a family of donors. Mother and father are regulars while brother is the one most passionate. It’s a great feeling that a gesture could help several people,” he said.

Dr VK Sharma, head of Lohia Hospital’s blood bank, agrees.

“Oh yes. Regular blood donation helps one reduce the risk of cholesterol, cardiac problems and iron overload. It also helps regular screening and blood purification,” he says.

“When the bureaucrat made his 100th recorded donation I was there and today also I was here. He is fit and a great ambassador for the noble cause,” says Dr Sharma. In 2016, someone had referred the record keepers of Limca to the veteran bureaucrat but since his father wasn’t well he couldn’t take it up. But getting into the record books isn’t what keeps him going to the blood banks.

“I am actually inspired by the fact that every time I donate blood, I help at least four people. Blood is a mix of several things, plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Each is segregated by machine and could help different patients. And, then it also helps you stay fit,” Shukla says.

Dr Preeti Elhence, who spent nearly two decades with SGPGI before shifting to RML Institute, agrees. “I must say that so far he must have donated blood more than 120 times, which I think is a record of sorts for a bureaucrat. Haven’t seen a high-profile bureaucrat so passionate about donating blood so regularly,” she said.

First Published: Oct 04, 2018 13:04 IST