The Associate Banks’ Officers’ Association (ABOA) Unit – State Bank of Travancore initiated an organ donation campaign, “Donate an organ…Give Life”, as part of their Foundation Day celebrations. MOHAN Foundation was invited to participate in this campaign on 30th November 2013 at the State Bank of Travancore, Teynampet, Chennai. The campaign in Chennai came close on the heels of a very successful organ donation pledging initiative held in Kerala earlier in the week.
The programme in Chennai began with a Welcome address by Mr.Elango followed by the Presidential address by Mr.Paul D.Prabhakar. There was a Special address by Mr.K.S.Gopikrishna, Treasurer, who had come from Thiruvananthapuram to participate in the Chennai campaign. He said that in Kerala they had received 4600 organ donation pledges from the various offices of State Bank of Travancore. He added that the Kerala Finance Minister, Mr. K. M. Mani, had also taken the organ donation pledge last year.
Dr. Sumana Navin, Course Director, MOHAN Foundation, was the Chief Guest. She spoke about the law governing organ donation and transplantation in India, brain death, who could become an organ donor and some of the myths regarding this. Mr. Paul Raj, Project Director, Cadaver Transplant Programme, Govt. of Tamil Nadu analysed the different aspects of Tamil Nadu’s performance in deceased organ donation. Mr. S. V. G. Subramanian from the Eye Bank, Sankara Nethralaya emphasized the need to bridge the gap between demand and supply of corneas/organs – to ‘tally and balance the account’ so to speak!
The programme ended with 200 organ donation pledges from the officers of State Bank of Travancore in Chennai zone.
Organ Donation Campaign on Foundation Day of ABOA
By Sri Gopikrishna KS
Treasurer - ABOA - Unit SBT
Associate Banks’ Officers’ Association (ABOA) is the only organization of Officers working in the five Associate Banks’ of State Bank of India, including State Bank of Travancore (SBT). It represents 100% of the officers and is a non-political organisation.
ABOA was formed on 26th November 1967 at Hyderabad. As we are an organization with a social objective, we decided to celebrate our Foundation Day with a noble cause. Accordingly, it was decided to conduct Blood donation camps throughout the country. As the officers of SBT are already active blood donors, ABOA Unit SBT decided to organise Organ Donation Campaigns throughout the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
We have reached out through all the branches of State Bank of Travancore in Kerala, to our own members, other staff and to our esteemed customers, through posters and person to person contact, to be part of this noble initiative, where our organs can give hope and life to needy others.
Working together with Kerala Network for Organ Sharing (KNOS) and Tamil Nadu Network for Organ Sharing (TNOS) both nodal agencies formed by the Governments in the respective states to coordinate organ donation, we reached out through all the branches of our Bank in Kerala and Tamil Nadu for sensitising people and getting their concurrence for Organ Donation. We were able to educate our members, other staff and our customers the need for Organ Donation through posters, classes and person to person contact. Doyens in the field of Organ Donation - Kidney Federation of India, MOHAN Foundation, Jyothis Kidney Federation, and Sankara Nethralaya actively supported and participated in this massive campaign.
On 26th November 2013, our Foundation day, in simultaneous public functions held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode and on 30th November 2013 at Chennai, we were able to hand over more than 5000 consent forms obtained from new willing organ donors to the Government. This is by far the biggest campaign ever run for Organ Donation in the country.
Sri Jeevandas Narayan, DMD(OSD), SBT handed over the forms to Sri K M Mani, Hon Finance Minister, Government of Kerala who was the chief guest at the public function held at Thiruvananthapuram. The Finance Minister was all praise for the farsightedness and for the commitment shown by ABOA to organise such a massive event, where our organs can give hope and life to needy patients. Dr Noble Gracious, Nodal Officer KNOS, and Smt Jolly Job, Jyothis Kidney Federation were Guests of Honour at the function which was presided over by Sri N Jayakrishnan, President of the unit. A Table Top donor Card was handed over to the Finance Minister. GR Jayakrishnan, DGS Sri Gopikrishna K S, Treasurer, Sri T P Rajagopal, Secretary of the zone and other top officials of the bank were present on the occasion.
Asst Commissioner of Police, Sri B Krishnakumar handed over the Organ Donation forms to the DMO in the presence of top officials of the Bank at the function held at Kollam presided over by the Secretary of the zone, Sri V S Unnikrishnan.
Shri. Thiruvanchoor Radhakishnan, Hon. Minister for Home and Vigilance, Kerala, the chief guest at the function held at Kottayam, hailed the excellent contribution made by SBT. The duly filled in Organ Donation forms where handed over by the Minister to Shri. Kurien Thoompumkal, Coordinator, Kidney Federation of India, in the function, presided over by Shri.John Mathew, Secretary of the zone.
Dr. Sudheesh Karunakaran, Neuro Surgeon, Medical Trust Hospital handed over the organ donation forms to Sri. Suhas Shivanna, IAS, Assistant Collector, at the meeting held at Ernakulam presided over by Smt Malathi K D. Smt. Mayadevi P, DGM, SBT and Sri. Saju Chacko of Kidney Foundation of India, spoke on the occasion.
The Organ Donor forms were handed over by our General Manager Sri S Vasudevan to Adv A D Benny, Dy Director of Kidney Federation of India at the function held at Thrissur. The DGM Sri S. Venkiteswarlu and other top officials were present at the function presided over by Sri A Nalinakshan, Secretary of the zone.
Sri HariNarayanan, Secretary of the zone presided over the function held at Kozhikode. The Organ Donor forms were handed over by our Vice president Sri V S Krishnan to Rev Fr Davis Chiramel, the founder and chief patron of Kidney Federation of India. Sri T Bala Krishnan, Director, SBT and other top officials were also present.
Sri Gopikrishna K S, Treasurer, handed over the organ donor forms to Sri Paulraj, TNOS, at the function held at Chennai. Dr Sumana Navin of MOHAN Foundation, gave a detailed presentation and made a fervent appeal for Organ Donation. Sri SVG Subramanian, Sankara Nethralaya and Smt Usha Devi, AGM spoke at the function presided over by Sri Paul D Prabhakar, Secretary of the zone.
In Mumbai, we organised a blood donation at the Associate Banks' Payment and Settlement group, Belapur. The camp which was attended by all the associates was inaugurated by Sri Varadaraja Iyer, DGM GC. Doctors and paramedics of Tata Memorial Hospital were present at the offsite camp.
All the functions were attended by our LMC Members, RC Members and other activists who played a key role in the campaign. We congratulate all our comrades who rose to the occasion and made the Foundation Day Celebrations a grand success.
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