Bomb blast, wounded civilians at his home town Sri Ganganagar on India-Pakistan border, moved then 17-year-old Bhupinder Nagpal to donate blood for the first time; now the
count is 153

By Saurabh Duggal

It was in July 1978, a bomb blast in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, bordering Pakistan, killed four and 13 people were wounded. There was an immediate requirement of blood. But as at that time there was no blood bank in the area and voluntary blood donation movement was yet to pick up pace in India, so the district administration had to make a public appeal for the blood donation. Moved by the Deputy Commissioner's request to public to come forward for the nobel cause, then 17-year-old student Bhupinder Nagpal, donated the blood for the first time. And since then he became part of the unsung heroes of the country’s voluntary blood donors’ brigade. Till now he has donated blood for 153 times and the count is still on.

“I was not even 18 when I donated the blood for the first time. Because of the immediate requirement of blood for the bomb blast victims, the doctor in the civil hospital at Sri Ganganagar allowed me to donate blood,” says Nagpal, 59, who is associated with the media industry. “It gave me such a satisfaction that I did something worth in my life. After that I was actively involved in organizing blood camps in our college Maharishi Dayanand College in Sri Ganganagar. Since then blood donation has become an integral part of my life and I started donating blood regularly after every 3-4 months.”   

Later for a job, Nagpal shifted his base to Chandigarh and he continues with voluntary blood donation. In October 2008 he was honoured by the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology for being a centurion blood donor. He was also honoured by the Chandigarh administration.  

“My wife and son too are blood donors. This is the least we can do for the society,” says Nagpal.

Every year June14 is marked as the World Blood Donor Day and for 2021, the theme is: Give blood and keep the world beating. “So let’s contribute,” adds Nagpal, a centurion blood donor.