KLES Prabhakar Kore Hospital in association with MOHAN (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network) Foundation organised an awareness programme about organ donation in Belagavi on Friday, as part of World Organ Donation Day.
Managing director and CEO of the hospital M.V. Jali spoke of the importance of donating organs after brain death. He said that the idea that such donation can help save several lives should motivate more people to donate organs. He recalled the contribution of surgeon Richard Saldhana who conducted the first heart transplant in KLE Hospital a few years ago.
Chairman of Organ Transplant Unit and Director of Clinical Services R.B. Nerli stressed on the need for higher levels of awareness and counselling for organ donation.
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He lamented the low level of donations in India, despite its rich legacy of donation from the Mahabharata–Ramayana times. He mentioned that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had pledged to donate his organs.
Vice-Principal and HoD Plastic Surgery Rajesh Powar spoke on the importance of donating skin and eyes. He said that the Skin Bank at KLES Hospital, started in 2017, is the 17th skin bank in India and has been successfully harvesting and shipping skin to several States.
Secretary of the local Rotaract Club Naina Nerli exhibited her video film on the subject.
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