TARIQUE RAHEEM
Handwara, March 11: Syed Imtiyaz Ahmad of Zachaldara, Kupwara district has set an example for people by donating 55 pints of blood during the last more than a decade and thus saving number of lives.
With this noble deed Imtiyaz a 30 year old BCA graduate from Rajpora a remote village of Handwara sub- district has become an inspiration for many in his locality.
The importance of donating blood dawned on him when in 2008 he was unable to get a pint of blood for his relative whom he was attending at District Hospital Handwara.
“I still remember calling several relatives for donating blood but nobody turned up, I being a 20 year old college student that time was afraid of donating blood but after the condition of my relative went from bad to worse I donated blood for the first time,” he said.
Imtiyaz is a regular and registered blood donor at District Hospital Handwara where he has donated more than 30 blood points till now.
“I am a registered blood donor, whenever a need arises the officials at blood bank DH Handwara call me and within the shortest span of time I make myself available to donate blood,” he said.
The officials at blood bank Handwara acknowledged the fact that with Imtiyaz setting the trend, several volunteers remain a call away to donate blood.
“Donating blood cannot be only a great source of saving lives but it is also beneficial for health,” he said while urging youth to come forward for the noble cause of donating blood.
Imtiyaz is also an active volunteer of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) with whom he has been associated for more than a decade now. He joined IRCS in 2008 and since then has actively participated in social service and welfare chores being organised by the society across the district Kupwara.
With his rigorous hard work in rescue operations, Imtiyaz has risen to the State Level Instructor and has trained hundreds of volunteers across Kashmir province.
In 2014 flash floods Imtiyaz with other volunteers carried out rescue operations in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir.
During the last year’s lockdown when everybody preferred to stay indoors, Imtiyaz could be seen distributing ration and other essential commodities among non-local laborers from Handwara to Karnah.
Since his association with IRCS Imtiyaz has been the chief organizer of numerous free medical and blood donation camps.
Imtiyaz is also recipient of several state and district level awards. During the last Republic Day celebrations he was awarded for his extra ordinary services rendered during the lockdown period in 2020.
