46 Years, 195 Pints: Kashmir’s ‘Blood Man’ Keeps the Lifeline Running

Srinagar| Oct, 6: A 65-year-old man from Srinagar has completed 195 blood donations over nearly five decades and has been associated with more than 1,500 blood donation camps across the Valley, responding to emergency requirements of patients and helping mobilise other donors.
Shabir Ahmad Khan, a papier-mâché artist from Kamagarpora in Downtown Srinagar, began donating blood in 1980 at the age of 18 after a football friend required an emergency transfusion at SMHS Hospital.
Khan said he learnt during his first donation that his blood group was O-negative, a blood type commonly used for emergency red-cell transfusions when the patient’s blood group is not immediately known.
“I started donating blood in 1980 after a football friend needed blood at SMHS Hospital. Since then, I have continued donating whenever there is a requirement,” Khan said.
Over the following decades, Khan became associated with blood donation camps organised at hospitals, voluntary organisations and other locations. He said he has attended hundreds of such camps and helped organise more than 1,500 camps across Kashmir.
His donations have also included emergency situations involving injured people and disaster-affected communities. Khan said he donated blood for people injured in the Qazigund incident and also participated in relief efforts following the 2005 Uri earthquake.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, when access to hospitals and regular blood donation drives was affected, Khan said he worked with around 60 volunteers to arrange blood donations at the Red Cross Society office and other locations.
“During the Covid-19 lockdown, I, along with other volunteers, donated blood at the Red Cross Society office and on several other occasions,” he said.
Before the pandemic, Khan said he would visit hospitals in Srinagar to identify patients who required blood. He now relies more on a network of volunteers who inform him about urgent requirements.
“There are people who come from far-off areas and have nobody to donate blood for them. I stand behind such people and try to help them,” he said.
Khan said he has also donated blood outside Jammu and Kashmir, including in New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
His involvement with voluntary service extends beyond blood donation. He said he provides drinking water to mourners during Muharram processions and has remained associated with the Red Cross Society as a life member.
Khan’s work has received recognition over the years. In 2017, he was felicitated at Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar with a certificate describing him as the “Blood Man of Kashmir”. He was also presented an appreciation award by the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik.
Another significant episode in his journey came in 1988, when Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mother Teresa invited him to Kolkata. Khan said he spent around two weeks working with her team in the city’s slums.
Despite decades of association with voluntary blood donation and the Red Cross, Khan said local volunteers involved in such work need greater institutional support and encouragement.
He said volunteers frequently respond to emergency calls without expecting financial compensation, while patients arriving from distant parts of the Valley often face difficulties arranging donors.
Khan said his experience has also shown him the importance of maintaining a pool of regular donors who can be contacted during emergencies.
From initially donating blood on his own, he has over the years helped connect hundreds of volunteers with patients requiring blood, particularly during emergencies.
Khan continues to participate in blood donation camps and respond to requests from volunteers. He said young people should not hesitate to donate blood if they are medically eligible.
“My message to the youth is to donate blood for people who need it and not hesitate,” he said.
After 46 years of voluntary blood donation, Khan’s record now stands at 195 donations, while his involvement in organising and facilitating blood donation camps has extended to more than 1,500 camps across the Valley.