Thousands of school and college students gathered at the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex here on Sunday to take a pledge that they will not only protect their liver by shunning drugs and alcohol, but also urge others to do the same.
The pledge was administered to the students at HEP 2013 organised by the VGM Hospital and the Rotary Clubs of Coimbatore in alliance with the World Hepatitis Alliance to mark the World Hepatitis Day, observed annually on July 28.
This was also an attempt to enter the Guinness world record on creating awareness about liver care for large number of students on a single occasion.
According to organisers, a total of 13,522 students from 50 schools and colleges in the city took part in the event.
Addressing the students after administering the pledge, V.G. Mohan Prasad, chairman of the VGM Hospital, cautioned the students that intake of alcohol and tobacco exponentially increased the chances of liver damage and cancer.
District Collector M. Karunagaran also took part in the function.
Free vaccination
Dr. Mohan Prasad also announced that Shantha Biotechnics, a biotechnology company based out of Hyderabad, was donating 10,000 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine to Coimbatore.
This will be administered free of cost by the VGM Hospital.
A host of dignitaries including Vara Prasad Reddy, Chairman, Sanofi, K. Ajayakumar, Rotary International District Governor, Vanitha Mohan, Managing Trustee, Siruthuli, Manimekalai Mohan, managing trustee of SSVM Institutions, B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Anusha Ravi, managing director of Park Institutions, Kavidasan, Director of Roots Industries, spoke.
Painting contest
The GEM Hospital and Research Centre, here, organised an awareness campaign on Hepatitis B and liver care by conducting painting and essay writing contests at Brookefields Mall in the city.
More than 100 children in the age group of five to 15 years took part in the contests on the topic ‘liver care’. The event was held to mark the World Hepatitis Day.
