Cop who turned thalassaemia crusader in Western Odisha
SAMBALPUR: For years, Ramdas Panda organised blood donation camps, mobilised donors and responded to emergency calls for blood. But it was a chance encounter with a distressed mother of two children suffering from thalassaemia at VIMSAR, Burla, during the Covid-19 pandemic that changed the course of his life.
Four years later, the former Odisha Police constable took voluntary retirement to dedicate himself to supporting thalassaemia patients, building a network of over 500 affected individuals across western Odisha and campaigning for greater awareness of the genetic disorder that requires lifelong blood transfusions.
The encounter with two brothers, Sipun and Papun Barik from Bargarh, in 2020 was Panda’s introduction to thalassaemia. The children were struggling to find blood for their regular transfusions as the pandemic disrupted blood donation activities and hospital services.I was surprised to learn that a healthy-looking child could require blood twice every month just to survive. I wanted to understand why,” the 46-year-old recalled.
After arranging blood for the two siblings, he began studying the disorder and interacting with doctors, patients and their families. What began as an effort to help two children soon evolved into a larger mission.
Panda not only took responsibility for arranging blood for the brothers but also bore their monthly travel and treatment-related expenses. At the same time, he startedFrom a handful of families, the initiative gradually has since grown into a WhatsApp network of more than 500 patients who use the platform to seek blood donors whenever they visit VIMSAR for transfusions. “I can now assure that any thalassaemia patient coming to VIMSAR for blood will not have to face any hassle,” Panda said.
The network eventually became more than a support group. It evolved into a platform for awareness generation and advocacy.Panda has since conducted awareness programmes in educational institutions across the region, including Gangadhar Meher University, VSSUT and AIIMS, highlighting the importance of voluntary blood donation and premarital screening to prevent the disorder.
In 2024, after serving in the Odisha Police for more than 23 years, Panda opted for voluntary retirement to devote full-time to social service, with thalassaemia awareness becoming his primary focus.
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