An accident led Srivatsa Vema to give up on blood donation – but only as a blood donor. It however paved the way for him to be a facilitator of blood-donation initiatives. He stated connecting people in need with blood donors. The 39-year-old runs an online platform called Platelet Club that he registered in 2018.
“I started donating blood in early 2000 and was a regular for a couple of years till I met with an accident in 2003,” says Srivatsa. The incident had a hugely adverse effect on him.
“I had a skull injury and was confined to bed for two years,” he says. It was only in 2006 that he resumed work.
Later, a wrong call that he answered in 2007 made him aware of the challenges people face, finding donors.
“I was in the middle of a review meeting and an angry caller yelled at me saying ‘You said you would come and donate but you have not’, he said and disconnected. The caller later apologised that he had called the wrong number and shared his woes. The caller wanted O+ blood. Though I belonged to this blood group, I could not donate blood, and I arranged for a donor,” he says.
Srivatsa called a few blood banks and found a matching donor for the patient.
In two to three days, the caller referred his name to another patient.
“I slowly started understanding how it works and that blood banks only have stock if we donate. Everybody needs help but they don’t want to help. From that day onwards, I started finding donors,” says the entrepreneur.
In 2010, Srivatsa started sharing details of patients’ requirements on his Facebook page. Today, he is also active on WhatsApp.
“Today, I connect 30-40 donors across Chennai in a day,” he says.
Through Platelet Club, matching donors are found for children with cancer and others. He is helped by a group of people who do verification and co-ordinate between recipient and donor.
He says finding donors now is quite a task — with COVID-19, many are hesitant to step out and donate blood, but there’s a huge shortage of blood.
For instance, Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital needs 100-200 donors a day to meet its requirements, he says.
The other day an IT professional called him for blood for his mother undergoing treatment. “I asked him to donate but the person would not. I motivate people to come forward and donate blood,” says the Chennai resident. He wants people to sign up with any blood donation platform. “Just start by donating once a year and please do give in government hospitals where there is more need,” he requests.
Meanwhile, Srivatsa’s doctors have told him that he can start donating blood from 2021. “I am waiting for 2020 to end to resume this life-saving activity once again,” he adds.
For details, visit https://www.facebook.com/plateletclub/
