Ahmedabad:
A blood camp conducted by any organization is not a new thing in town.
But a blood camp when conducted by an individual, in particular a paanwala, is a generous thing indeed. Kiritbhai Patel is one such benevolent person who owns a paan shop near Commerce Six Road.
The 52-years-old Kiritbhai has not only organised several blood camps, but has also donated blood many times. "I started donating blood since I was 18. I am conducting camps for the past 10 years, where I had to convince and persuade people to donate blood to save people's lives." In a 10-year period, Kiritbhai has organised 40 camps. He holds a camp once in three months.
When asked how he manages his expenditure, Kiritbhai said, "I am not worried much about it, as I do it for my satisfaction. But 30% of my income goes into organising camps, lunch and tours. Till date, I have organised 15-20 tours for the blood donors, at my cost."
Kiritbhai makes the camps fun places. People have great time there - from lunch parties to tours, everything is organised by Kiritbhai.
Dinesh Sen, a donor said, "I have donated blood thrice in his camp. It made me think that if a paanwala can work for others' betterment, why cannot we? Whenever he learns about an emergency in a hospital, he shuts down his shop and rushes to hospital. I have seen him many times in hospitals helping strangers. He is a real hero."
About his future plans, Kiritbhai said, "The next camp is on October 20 at Mewad Hostel. It is open to the public and I have planned to take the donors for dinner. A trip to Diu has also been organised for them."
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