Blood bank is not priority in Bhatkal at the moment, says Nazir Kashimji who has arranged blood more than 700 times for patients

Bhatkal 8 November 2018: (Bhatkallys News Bureau) Locals in Bhatkal are used to one familiar name whenever there is a medical emergency especially at the accident spots and during the medical procedure after the accidents, Nazir Kashimji, a name that has now been so famous that whenever a accident case is reported, Nazir seems to be a common face at every spot. Bhatkallys.com met Nazir Kashimji on Thursday November 8, for a casual meet and discussed a range of issues including the current medical scenario of Bhatkal and shared ideas on several other important issues. Nazir Kashimji is a proud donor of blood who has donated blood at least 34 times in emergency situations and various blood donation camps, add to it he has arranged for bloods for patients more than 700 times since his return from Dubai in 1999 after winding-up his gulf business. Nazir says "I started involving myself into social activities after my return from gulf as I started my own gym in December 1999, I was always into social activities right from my childhood, so the first time I donated blood I found inner peace and happiness so I started being more active in the field". "I have handled more than 2000 emergency cases ranging from accidents, labor patients, medical negligence and almost everything. My only motto is to serve the society and not the hue and cry of my services, I don't work for camera and limelight to be honest". Asked about most heart-breaking or shocking case he has handled Nazir adds "There are many, I can't count one or two, every case that I handle, I handle it with same dedication, same pain for the patient and same care so every case is important and wherever we have lost patients all those case are heart-breaking and painful for me". Speaking about the current medical scenario of Bhatkal Nazir added that getting a blood bank in Bhatkal is not a priority right now as blood can be arranged from Kundapur and Kumta in cases of emergencies. He however conceded that the need of CT Scanning and MRI Scanning facilities are more important in Bhatkal. "Our monthly blood units consumption is hardly 10-15 for which using over a crore rupees for its establishment is not really necessary at the moment, we see how towns like Honnavar are medically developed better than us, they have CT scans, MRI scans among other services, whereas we only have one sonography service centre here, we need more sonography, CT scans and MRI scanning centres on priority in Bhatkal at the moment". "We need at least ten gynecologists along with more hospitals in Bhatkal if we have to raise the bar of our medical system, but the problem is we mistreat the few number of doctors we have, that is not how it is going to work, we have sent a wrong message in the medical circles and hence doctors are hesitant in coming to Bhatkal for practice" Nazir said. Nazir also has maintained a network of blood donors who are available in Bhatkal and are always ready for donating blood at all the time. He adds "I have a network of more than 100 donors who are available on call for helping others, including three members of AB- blood group, the rarest of rare group. Nazir aims to continue serving the society and the noble work for as long as he can and requests our readers to remember him in his supplications for the 'little service' he has been doing. Nazir has also been awarded with several awards about 23 times, a few pictures of which can be seen below. (Bhatkallys Special News Bureau/ Ismail Zaorez)