Hundreds of citizens, including doctors, students and representatives from the corporate sector, took part in a walkathon on organ donation flagged off from the north gate of Mysuru palace on Sunday.
The walkathon was part of a series of events organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Mysuru chapter, in association with various hospitals of the city and the Zonal Co-ordination Committee of Karnataka , in order to dispel fears about organ donation.
Flagging off the ‘Walkathon – Gift an Organ’ at Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, near the north gate of Mysuru palace, JSS Hospital director Dr. M.D. Ravi said the objective of the drive was to highlight the need for organ donation to save lives.
The organisers of the initiative, including Apollo Hospitals, Columbia Asia Hospital, JSS Hospital, Narayana Multispeciality Hospital and Vikram Hospital, are seeking to educate the people so that they can make a change in the lives of others by donating organs. The participants displayed placards bearing phrases such as “Yes, I am an organ donor” and “Be a Donor,” besides carrying banners that read “Your signature is all it takes to save a life. Pledge Your Organs.”
N. Muthukumar, chairman of CII, Mysuru, said the gap between demand and supply of organs was increasing with each passing year. Representatives of the hospitals who participated in the programme said they follow the rules while transplanting organs. “There are misconceptions about organ donation,” a doctor said.
A skit on organ donation too was staged by employees of Automotive Axles.
As part of this drive, an awareness programme on organ donation will be held for doctors and the public (in two sessions) at JSS Hospital on August 7.
