LPU organized an Awareness Session on Organ Donation virtually, in collaboration with CII-Yi Noida (Confederation of Indian Industry-Young Indians) and ORGAN India to sensitize participants about the noble cause of organ donation and transplant. The keynote speakers for this virtual session were: Ms Sunayana Arora Singh (CEO, ORGAN India) and Ms Surbhi Bajaj (Co-Chair, Gift An Organ). The ORGAN India is the Parashar Foundation initiative that works under the aegis of NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization). The NGO aims to elevate organ transplantation knowledge and help those facing problems in organ transplant.
At the beginning of the session, expert Ms Sunayana Arora Singh mentioned the story behind this initiative. In 2011, when the former chairman of Parashar foundation, Late Mrs Kirti Parashar, needed a heart transplant, she realized that not even a single organization could help her with essential information like where to go, what to do and how things work in organ transplant. Then she decided to start the Organ India foundation, focusing on creating awareness of organ donation in the public domain.
Discussing the organ donation scenarios in the country, she clarified several myths and organ donation facts. She mentioned that more than 5 lakh people suffer from organ failure every year and are waiting for an organ transplant. Unfortunately, the percentage of an organ donor in our country is less than one. She cited the main reason behind the low participation ratio in organ donation: lack of awareness among people.
After that, she discussed the basic terminologies like the meaning of donor, recipient, retrieval, transplantation, brain death, living and deceased organ donation. She shared the organs and tissues list to donate – Heart, Lungs, Pancreas, Intestine, Liver, Kidneys, Cornea, Valves, Bones, Tendons, Skin, and Ligaments.
Important points from the webinar:
• A single organ donor can save up to eight innocent lives.
• An unrelated person to patients has to fill an application form before donation, but near relatives can donate without filling any form.
• A person can donate tissue after cardiac death.
• In India, living donation restricted to the kidney and liver.
• It is essential to discuss the organ donation plan with your family.
• Everyone can donate an organ. Only a few medical conditions disqualify a patient from donating organs like Cancer, COVID-patients and survivors.
• Even HIV and Hepatitis positive person can donate their organ to another person with the same diseases.
• A person can donate their organ at any age.
This awareness session was attended by hundreds of LPU students and staff members belonging to all Indian states and 40 countries. The virtual event witnessed an enthusiastic response with many students consenting online for organ donation.
At the end of the session, she cleared all student’s doubts regarding organ donation. Appreciating the LPU initiative, she held: “Organ Donation is a social responsibility and we must all collaborate and synergize to make such endeavors great success. LPU has indeed set an example for other institutions to follow.” The session concluded with a beautiful quote by C.T. Boom- “The measure of life is, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.“
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