Humanity Above All: Delhi's First Plasma Donor To Donate For The Seventh Time

New Delhi¡¯s first plasma donor has already donated six times and is now ready for round seven.

36-year-old Tabrez Khan, a resident of Jahangirpuri, had coronavirus in March and then recovered on April 5.

NDTV

¡°I want to be a role model for others to come forward and save lives... It must have been God¡¯s will that he wanted me to do this,¡± TNIE quoted him as saying.

After his recovery, Khan saw a government advertisement on plasma donation. He donated plasma for the first time at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) around April 20, when plasma trials were being conducted. After that he started receiving requests from people for plasma.

¡°Someone calls and says he needs it for his father. Someone else says they need it for their sister. They call me looking for a plasma donor, with blood group B+¡­ If there is a way for me to help them, then why not?¡±Indian Express quoted him as saying.

The last patient Khan donated plasma to was 60 years old. According to the Express report, Khan has donated twice at ILBS, once at Max, twice at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and once at Shree Aggarsain International Hospital in Rohini.

Also Read: Delhi Opens India's First Plasma Bank And Here's What You Need To Know

Express/AP

According to him all those who recover from the virus should donate as it doesn¡¯t cost anything nor does it cause any weakness.

However, Khan has also had to face social stigma. ¡°Log dekh ke bhi muh mor lete hai¡­pehle sab chai pe bulate thee aab andekha kar dete hai, dukh hota hai (People turn their faces away when they see me. Earlier neighbours would invite me for evening tea but now they ignore us, it does hurt),¡± TNIE quoted him as saying.

He has even been accused of spreading the virus because of his faith.

This stigma apparently has its root in the Tablighi Jamaat incident. ¡°Now they (locals) say that my donation is an act of covering up. I just want this hatred to end. Out of six donations, five had been for Hindu families¡­ Where does religion come in between a pandemic?,¡± he reportedly said.

Also Read: Left Penniless Amid COVID Crisis, Migrant Wagers Donate Plasma To Save Lives

Tabrez Khan via HuffPost

His 65-year-old mother is not eligible to donate but his sister has donated plasma twice.

On one hand there are people like Khan who are doing all they can to help others on the other there are those who refuse to donate plasma.