Man breaks record, makes platelet donations 270 times

Mumbai: Sanjay Bapat, a 50-year-old engineer who runs an ayurvedic cosmetic manufacturing unit, created a record by becoming the only donor in India to donate platelets more than 270 times, say Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials. The BMC felicitated Mr Bapat for the same on Monday. Platelets are responsible for blood clots and are necessary for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Mr Bapat has been donating blood since 1987 and started donating platelets in 2009. Since then, he has been donating platelets every month to various hospitals across the city. While the donation of blood platelets is far lesser than that of blood, the demand for platelets in various hospitals across entire city is too high. The supply is lesser than 50 per cent of the demand. Mr Bapat aims to create awareness on blood donation amongst citizens by donating platelets in hospitals or blood banks.

Mr Bapat said, “It was my profession which dragged me to visit hospitals. After visiting Tata Hospital, I saw there was an urgent need of platelets. I then promised myself to donate platelets, which poses no harm since our body produces a sufficient amount of them. I donate blood platelets twice a month.” After the felicitation,

BMC executive health officer, Dr Padmaja Keskar, said, “This is extremely helpful for patients who have low platelet count and require repeated platelet transfusions. Especially, cancer patients, organ or bone marrow transplants patients, victims of traumatic injuries, dengue patients with low platelet count and those who are undergoing open-heart surgery need platelet transfusions to survive.”