MOHAN Foundation, the Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network, and other organisations will hold a rally in Chennai on Sunday on the Marina Beach to raise awareness on organ donation.
Organ Donation Day falls on Sunday, 27th November. “There is a huge shortage of organs in India and patients die while on the waiting list as they do not get an organ on time. A brain-dead person’s organs can give a new lease of life to at least 9 patients suffering from organ failure,” MOHAN pointed out in a press release.
The effort to highlight the importance of organ donation follows the message for ‘World Diabetes Day’ on 14th November. Diabetes is a major cause of organ failure, necessitating an organ transplant.
“Organs transplantation is possible only if there are organ donors available in the country and it is in this regard that the Organ Donation Day is being celebrated to create awareness. The theme for the event this year is ‘Share Life, Save Life’.
The rally on Sunday will be flagged off from the Triumph of Labour statue and end at Gandhi statue, beginning at about 8 a.m. There will be sand sculptures on organ donation on the beach done by the students of the Government Fine Arts College. The closing ceremony will be held at the site of these unique sculptures. The rally will culminate with a street theatre performance on organ donation. It will be an occasion to get a Donor Card and pledge organs.
This event is being jointly organized by all the stakeholders working in this field in Tamil Nadu: Government Cadaver Transplant Programme (CTP), MOHAN Foundation, National Network for Organ Sharing (NNOS), and TANKER Foundation. The major hospitals where deceased organ donation is taking place are Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Apollo Hospitals and Global Hospitals.