Wednesday 4th April, New Delhi: MOHAN Foundation (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network), a not-for-profit organisation yesterday successfully launched its first function in the capital to create awareness about organ donation.
Every year, close to six lakh people die in India due to organ failure. Conversely, with 70% of India's 1.4 lakh accident victims diagnosed as brain dead every year, the country has 80,000 potential organ donors. Yet, organs from only about 120 are retrieved, making the percentage of cadaver donations a dismal 0.08 per million of the population.
The fundraiser showed the trailer from Anand Gandhi's latest award-winning film, 'The Ship of Theseus' that focuses on the importance of organ donation. Leading doctors from Delhi’s renowned hospitals showed solidarity by singing popular Bollywood numbers from the 60s and 70s like Jaaiye aap kahan jaayenge, Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si, etc., to thunderous applause from the audience.
Some of the prominent doctors present on the occasion included Dr.Rana, Director, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr.Samiran Nundy, Chairman, Surgical Gastro and Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Prof. Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, Dr. A.S.Soin Chief Liver Transplant & Hepatobiliary Surgeon, Chairman, Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Medanta – The Medicity, Dr.Sanjeev Kanoria from Advina Healthcare, UK, Dr,Vijay Kher, Senior Nephrologist, Medanta – The Medicity.
Other guests who signed the donor card included Mr.Ashok Alexander, Country Head, Bill Gates Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Chief Minister of Delhi Mrs. Sheila Dixit dropped in and signed the Pledge Board along with the other luminaries present at the event.
Talking on the occasion Dr Sunil Shroff Managing Trustee of the MOHAN Foundation said that Events such as this helped people realize the importance of such causes and helped build positive will about organ donation.
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