HEALTH

Relief camp for needy
From Our Correspondent

DORAHA, Oct 13 — A relief camp for the needy was organised at Satnam Nagar with the joint efforts of the First-Aid Police Post and the B.S.B. Welfare Society, Doraha. A free eye-operation camp was inaugurated by Mr B.S. Sidhu, D.S.P., Payal subdivision. Mr Gursharanjit Singh, general secretary, Punjab State Epex Body of non-government organisations presided over the function. 

Mr Sidhu distributed cash and items of daily use among the aged, widows and poor children. Sewing machines were provided to the girls who wanted to follow tailoring as their profession. Dr Sidhu also inaugurated an acupressure centre in Satnam Nagar. The audience was addressed by Mr. Subhash Sharma, Mr Gurmit Singh and Dr Jasbir Singh. Dr Jasbir Singh performed various eye-operations and distributed medicines free of cost.

Donating blood is his passion
From Our Correspondent

SAHNEWAL, Oct 13 — Mr Gursharanjit is a philanthropist whose life speaks volumes about his devotion to humankind. He is 46 and has already donated blood 51 times to the blood bank.

Mr Gursharanjit was born in Dakoha village. His father Mr Tarlok Singh was a Block Development Officer. He learnt the first lesson of charity and brotherhood from his mother. He did his master’s degree from Punjabi University. His aptitude for service was visible from the very beginning when he refused to adopt any work as a profession.

It was in 1983 that he devoted himself compeletly to a noble cause. Along with Mr Vipin Sharma, a social worker, he started blood donation campaigns at Khanna, Payal and Doraha. With single-minded devotion he organised 158 blood donation camps in the area and established a record collection of 16,386 units of blood. For this, he has been awarded nine times by different Governors. He was also awarded the ‘Star Donor Award’. Mr Gursharanjit was recently awarded the ‘International Lion Award’ by Mr James-E Irwin, president, International Association of Lions Club.

Mr Gursharanjit has represented Punjab in conferences held by various non-government voluntary organisations. In 1995, he was sent on a study tour to Kerala by the Punjab Government. It was on the basis of the information gathered by him that the then Governor of Punjab established the Punjab State Epex Body of Non-Government Organisations whose general secretary till date is Mr Gursharanjit.

With the support of Dr Pooran Singh, the former director, Health Department and Mr Ajaib Singh, Mr Gursharanjit started an NGO network that initiated a pulse-polio drive in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh , Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh. He formed a total of 183 teams to achieve complete eradication of the disease. Mr Gursharanjit was awarded the National Vaccination Mission Award for having assured 100 per cent vaccination in the area.

Mr Gursharanjit is also a member of various state-level committees like the Family Welfare Committee, the Women and Child Welfare Committee and the Social Security Committee. He has opened 11 women health care centres. Due to his efforts, Begowal village, near Doraha, has been established as a model village. Mr Gursharanjit’s moment of glory came when he established the first police check post at Doraha, making it a model post for others to follow. This first-aid post has saved 1500 persons from the jaws of death ever since it was established three years ago.

At present, there are a total of 31 first-aid posts operating in different areas on the guidelines provided by the first-aid post, Doraha.

Mr Gursharanjit has also initiated a migrant labourers’ health project in collaboration with Helpers’ India and B.S.B. Welfare Society. This project is providing food, clothing and shelter to helpless children and old people.

Mr Gursharanjit has achieved much but according to him ‘still much remains to be done’. “I wish to make Punjab another Kerala where all voluntary organisations are given priority by the government and full support by WHO and UNICEF,” said Mr Gursharanjit.