KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & MRC, Belagavi in association with MOHAN Foundation, Jeevasarthakathe Govt. of Karnataka, Bengaluru, Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences Belagavi. Jointly organized a cycle rally in the city on Sunday, 23^rd December 2018 with objective to sensitize Belagavi citizens regarding organ donation.

Around 180 cyclists took part in the rally and paddled on the main roads in the city to create awareness among the public on the importance of organ donation that could help to save multiple life and ensure better living to those suffering from organ related ailments.

Addressing the program, KLES Director V S Sadhannavar highlighted the importance of organ donation by stating the organ donation help to save lives. Organ donation is a noble cause and hoped the cycle rally will act as a catalyst to create awareness among citizens. Dr. Sadhunnavar said, Instead of burying or burning the bodies, one should donate the organs for saving lives of the needy. He further highlighted that one brain stem death persons organs could save the lives of 8 people. Dr. Sadhunnavar expressed his profound gratitude’s to Cyclists Venkatesh Shivaram and Manjunath Nagaraj who peddled all along from Bengaluru to Belagavi and appreciated their selfless service to humanity for the organ donation cause.

Speaking on occasion, hospital chief cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr. Richard Saldanha expressed concern over the growing number of patients needing organs and very few organ donors in the community. List of patients needing organs is growing but lamented very few come forward to donate. When a kidney can be donated from living donors and transplanted from one person to another. The brain stem dead patients, organs like heart, liver, lungs, pancreases can also be donated and transplanted. This would help the save life of many people, he said and called upon people to come forward for organ donation to save lives.

Clinical Services Director& Director Kidney Foundation,  Dr. R B Nerli highlighted the achievements of KLES Hospital which has been carrying out organ transplantations.The hospital had achieved the feat successfully by transplanting kidneys and heart. Apart from this, the hospital had made all preparations for liver transplantation he added. The non-governmental organization should actively join hands towards improving awareness’s among people about organ donation, he opined.

Cyclists Venkatesh Shivaram and Manjunath Nagaraj were felicitated on the occasion. Who paddled cycle from Bengaluru to Belagavi in 26 hours continues journey and took part in rally. MOHAN Foundation, MLIRC Belagavi cadets, Belagavi Paddlers, Venugram Cyclists, Rotary club members and hospital staff took part in the cycle rally which travelled around length and breadth of the city.

Dr. Rajeshekar Somanatti, Administrator clinical service, Dr. Mohan Gan, Prof& HOD, CVTS department, Mr. Shridhar Hanchinal, Hon.Director, MOHAN Foundation and others were present.