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Sandhani :

a llend of joy, Duty & Pride

by Samia Israt Ronee
IN the days when. "Dish’ hadn't invaded BTV. we used to watch our national channel a lot. I was in school then. 1 bet. you've had a chance to watch the following kind of ad on TV which read — "Blood needed-emergency — required blood group — O-ve’ — filease contact : — "1 don't know, low you felt then; all 1 thought was — Til be a doctor someday and help them out. Then gradually I came to know, that a medical student can join SANDHANI and help blood banking. So, my passion for medical college Increased. Now. I'm a DMC student — just first year — on the way to fulfil my dream of being a Sandhani. But the first two months in college — I was so shy and yes. I was very afraid too. to enter the Sandhani (DMC unit) room — it was so grave, so graceful and so quiet. In my view, it was a place occupied by seniors. We juns (i.e. Juniors) seemed to have no permission to enter.
Then suddenly one day, the diving urge inside me pushed me hard and I just dashed through the Sandhani gate; I became a member — I got my blood group typed — i.e. I got to know my blood group. The first step of learning started. The office work — preserving blood — how to deliver, groupings and last but not the least -y our passion. briefly known as "pricking” — which actually is phlebotomy. the term used to denote the process of collecting blood from the donor. Believe it or not. you might think, that we were at war if you saw us arguing over the 'logical'(l) reasoning why Ronee should do the pricking and why Tupu or Partho or anyone else shouldn't do it. And. sometimes, during these serious funfights, the seniors would brush us off and say "oh you juniorsl You’re Inexperienced, we must do it." We first years then become united protesting the unfavourable decision. Boy! When are we going to be become seniors!
Until now, I've been telling you just about my Sandhani life — but actually I wanted to tell you something else. The year 1997 is going on right now. Tills , year on the 5th of February Sandhani has celebrated its 20th birthday. (Although,
Sandhani is going to celebrate the foundation more elaborately on ApriD-The idea of Sandhani came up 20 years ago. on 1977. February the 5th in the DMC campus. Six enthusiastic medical students — Mustafiqur Rahman Swapan. Mosharaf Hossain Mukto, Md Idris Ali. Md Abdul Quiyum, Mustafa Salimun Hasnain and Khurshid Alam Apu — were longing to do something worthy for the people — they wanted to meet the dire need of blood.
The professional donor's blood carry a lot of pernicious germs — such as HBS ag. Syphilis. Gonorrohea etc. Thus, the transftrsion which is meant
to save life causes the death of the recipient due to the 'affected' blood. The six people worked hard and then onwards. Sand-bani has grown up bit by bit. Once the aamtola' (Mangogrove) of DMC campus was their discussion place; meetings were held in the Anatomy dissection room too. And now, we have two rooms — the Sandhani office room and the Sandhani blood distribution room. Sandhani Central Office is at the IPGMR. The central committee of Sandhani comprises of 27 members — 3 members (Central Representative, President and General Secretary) from each units of Sandhani. Sar.dhani of each medical college is a unit and not branch of the Sandhani Central.
Sandhani is not only connected with blood collection but also with posthumous Eye Donation. Sandhani is the only organisation which is formed by students, which is maintained by students and which is helped by students — but which works for the whole nation.
We have achieved a lot since
1977. Tlie whole team of Sandhani works along with their studies. We have a great big syllabus and we in cur at a loss going through the books. But our study is not limited to books any longer. Because. Sandhani has made the field of study more vast, yet more valuable. Everyday a lot of people come to us in quest of blood. We know their needs, we learn to communicate. we learn to assure them, we learn the "patience” — a quality most essential for us. During Sandhani's 20 years. I guess, about 17 batches of students have come out as doctors. Sandhani has been able to give the country some humanitarian
doctors, who know the people better, their pains better — because, being connected with Sandhani. they come very close to people’s sufferings. Isn’t this a great achievement for both the country and Sandhani? Sandhani hasn't yet been able to meet the total need of blood in our country. But yes. Sandhani is working to ensure "Fresh blood for all by the year 2000."
Due to some reason or other, our parents and also many of our society including some of you readers, think that Sandhani is a place where the students chat, have tea and do nothing. Some of our own college students think the same too. For this peculiar thought and also because of some other complicated problems, we face a number of difficulties. Like, we weren't given permission for Blood Screening, a test very much important to know if the collected blood is infectious or not. For a long time, we had to distribute unscreened blood — a disgrace for the graceful Sandhani. But our battle in this regard has finally ended — we
have got the legal permission. Another milestone in Sandhani's long journey.
But the toughest of all battles. regarding the blood banking is the blood collection problem. People don't want to donate blood for so many peculiar reasons. Like, one day, a man came — he wanted blood for his wife. Fortunately — his blood group matched his wife's. We asked him to donate blood and take it for his wife. Guess what his reply was — "Bouier laigga rokto dia ki hoibo?" (Whats the use of giving blood to the wife?) We gulped our anger — because, it was no use blaming him. He was an ignorant, illiterate per-
son. He didn't know that any healthy person weighing more than 45 kg, who isn't taking any antibiotics is capable of donating blood. In fact, as a portion of the existing blood in human body, that degenerates in every 120 days, a person can donate blood once in every 4 months. It doesn't mean any harm, rather it helps the body physiological system. Although knowing these stuffs, some people are so arrogant, better say 'snobbish.' They just feel 'ashamed' to think of their royal blood flow through the vessels of some poor patient! But when the same blue blooded person is in need of blood — he can do anything for blood!
Sandhani's war is not hot — its a mild cold war. against the ignorance, fright, false sense of ego of people. Their spirit seems to wake up only during the Ekushey’. or 'Bijoy Dibosh' blood collection programmes. 1 don’t discourage their swarming up like bees in the camps to donate blood — they are at least donating one bag once a year. But what happens the rest of the year? Please come to Sandhani
on one day when there hadn't been any donation camps for weeks — come, see the situation, see the mother (a widow) cry for her only son suffering from renal failure, see the 4-year-old girl’s pale face — all desperately needing blood. Its not that we don't nave people donating blood voluntarily but the number has to increase — as the lives at stake due to lack of blood are increasing rapidly.
Actually, its not your fault, it may be our fault — we or may be our Sandhani hasn't been able to reach you.
Once we needed 10 bags of blood for an emergency open heart surgery. In the whole DMC everyone having that blood group had already given blood may be one or two months earlier. It was Ramadan. so blood collection was even scarce. So. finding no other alternatives we went to •BUET and Architecture Dept; contacted our 1st year friends there.
They helped as out — they spread the news among others, we got blood — even excess. It was a relief. It made us aware of the importance to reach people. That day. we were able to break the barriers of communication gap — our urge, our anxiety seemed to spread out among others. Sandhani's importance. Sandhani's. role in people's life became clear. I do hope, this article makes it clear to you too.
"Sandhani" is not only an institution, its a — what'ld I say? Sandhani has a soft corner in everyone's heart. To us — Sandhani is our duty — our joy — one place where we don’t deny to learn. We don't mind even if someone calls us 'vampire' when we persue to donate blood! Sandhani has made us more close, more in contact with people. with sufferings, with relief.
We don’t sell blood — we give what you need — Sandhani is open for people of every walks of life — Sandhani's help is a right for all. Sandhani fills our souls with a sense of pride. Too much pride is not good — but to me, to us. Sandhani' is Itself a pride. We love Sandhani. Long live Sandhani. long live our 'bloody' donors and long live we. i.e. vampires!