Okrabari (Cooch Behar), June 21: They had always boycotted polio camps and preferred quacks to doctors, but they bailed out the district blood bank in its hour of crisis.

More than 150 donors from this area, all from the minority community and most of them housewives, answered the district hospital’s appeals and queued up to replenish the stock of blood at Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Hospital.

About 35 km from the heritage town, Okrabari has a history of not turning up for polio drives and going to quacks to cure ailments. “There have been instances of men divorcing their spouses after learning that they had administered polio drops to children,” a health official said. “That is why their response came as a surprise.”

The hospital authorities went around the district appealing over loudspeakers to donate blood.

Sajeda Begum, who was one of the donors, said: “Most people in our area are superstitious. They are willing to risk their children’s lives and health because of baseless beliefs. I feel very bad when I hear about parents staying away from polio camps and so when our community leaders told us about the blood donation drive, I agreed. I wanted others to feel confident about modern healthcare and trust doctors,” the 42-year-old woman said.

Marjina Bibi, 30, echoed Sajeda. “I do not care if my husband divorces me. My friends and I have decided we will donate blood whenever required,” she said.

Sarojkanti Deb, the district officer of the SC/ST welfare department, said: “We were moved by the manner in which Muslim women and girls came forward. They have set an example,”

President of a local Other Backward Classes welfare society, Sonab Uddin Ahmed, too, did not expect the turnout. “When we heard the blood bank had run almost dry, we got in touch with our community people. Women and young folks responded instantly. We never thought there would be such a reaction, particularly among housewives.”