Dr. Charles Drew
Surgeon Dr. Charles Drew is perhaps
responsible for more lives saved across the world than anyone else. He showed
how blood could be stored for medical emergencies; establishing the world’s
first blood bank and organising the world’s first blood drive. He was also the
first director of the American Red Cross.
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1904,
African-American Drew was a brilliant student and athlete. After graduating
from USA’s Amherst College, he taught biology and also served as the school’s
Athletic Director. A few years later he was back in college studying for his
medical degree and later his CM(Master of Surgery).
Dr. Drew was keenly interested in how
blood could be transferred from one person to another. At that point, blood
transfusion technology was basic and blood could only be stored for two days
after which it became useless. Dr. Drew discovered that by separating the
liquid part of blood (plasma) from the rest of the blood (the red blood cells),
blood could be stored for up to a week. Dr. Drew’s insistence that the colour
of one’s skin played no role in blood donation saved the lives of many soldiers
during World War II. For instance, non-white soldiers no longer had to wait for
blood donations from same race donors. Dr. Drew’s unstinting work led to many
awards but sadly, when he was injured in an accident in 1950, his condition was
too grave for a blood transfusion and he passed away.
