We often read or hear of touching stories of organ donation, and the transformation it brings to the lives of recipients and their families. Having said that, the sad reality is that India has one of the lowest organ donation rates among developed and developing nations.There is a serious shortage of organs and the gap between the number of organs donated and the number of people awaiting transplant continues to rise. As per data sourced from Organ India, approximately five lakh people die each year due to organ failure.
Recently, Young Indians, organised an event focused on a discussion on their recent project ‘Gift an Organ’ – Breaking Myths, Making Miracles. The Gift an Organ initiative of Yi along with Bengal Organ Donation Society is working towards educating people about organ donation and to correct unwarranted myths & beliefs that this topic is shrouded in.
Experts present during the event stressed that lack of knowledge and awareness is the reason for organ shortage and highlighted how donation will help to change one’s life and save several lives.
Shruti Mohta (Representing BODS) said “Many myths and misconceptions surround organ donation. Organ donation gets discouraged on the basis of superstitions. India’s spiritual gurus like Baba Ramdev, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has pledged their organs and came forward to dispel the myths about organ donation.The gift of life is the ultimate gift that one could give and organ donation is, therefore, needs to be encouraged.” She urged the people to tell their near and dear ones about their willingness to donate organs so that it can be done smoothly after they are gone.
Dr. Tamal Kanti Ghosh quoted, “Lack of organ donors, lead to almost 8 lakh deaths annually. Almost 10,000 casualties are reported to due non-availability of organ donors.” Dr. Tamal also stated, “The Government of West Bengal is working closely with Bengal Organ Donation Society to spread the word and make facilities available even across rural areas. Additionally, the civic bodies equally play an important role in the campaign and their constant support can contribute to the initiative’s success.”
The Gift an Organ initiative of Yi along with Bengal Organ Donation Society is working towards educating people about organ donation and to correct unwarranted myths & beliefs that this topic is shrouded in. With the large population that India is always famed for, changing the mindset of hundreds of thousands is the aim of the project – which could potentially change the lives of a few people who lie in wait for organ donors. One organ donor can save up to 8 lives, yet nearly 5,00,000 people die every year because of non-availability of organs.
Sandeep Vyas, renowned singing sensation said “When we die, what’s left of our mortal being is either put to the ground or burned to ashes. Meanwhile, a score of patients lay in hospital beds waiting for organ transplants, and dying a slow death as viable organs get wasted. So, organ donation is the highest form of giving.It is the greatest gift anyone can give as it saves lives.”
Neeloo Sherpa – Joint Commissioner of Police said “Traffic police have always given their full support in arranging green corridors to support the organs of the donor to the recipients admitted in various hospitals.”
Rajat Sarawgi, Chair of Young Indians Kolkata emphasized, “Youth can play a vital role in promoting this cause and collectively we can be brand custodians of the initiative. Any individual has utmost potential to save lives irrespective of their caste, age, sex or religion. We at Young Indians aim to expand our network and spread the word across.”
Young Indians also organized a fun-filled evening ‘The Laughter Factory’ with ace comedians Atul Khatri, Azeem Banatwalla & Nishant Tanwar. The stand-up comedy was a unique way to spread the word about ‘Gift an Organ’ campaign and also resulted in 120 pledges from the audience.
So let us take a pledge to help those who are in need of organs for survival. Help them live more!
