National Organ Donation Day

Fortis Mohali organises walkathon to spread awareness on saving lives  

Mohali, November 27, 2021: A walkathon was organised on the occasion of National Organ Donation Day at Fortis Hospital, Mohali to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation and to sensitise potential donors to save lives.

Vikas Vashisht, a kidney-transplant patient, who is a recipient of twin transplants at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, and a patient of Dr Priyadarshi Ranjan, Director; Urology, Robotics and Kidney Transplant Surgery, flagged-off the walkathon along with Air Marshal (Dr) R.K. Ranyal, Medical Director; Abhijit Singh, Zonal Head, Fortis Hospital Mohali; and Madhavi Chikhale, Chief of Nursing. Nearly 50 members of the Transplant Team and Nursing Department wore green ribbons to support the cause.

Emphasising on the importance of organ donation, Dr Ranjan, said, “A single donor can save and enrich more than 8 persons by donating the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel. A transplant can completely transform the life of the recipient.”

Discussing how awareness on organ donation could help bring a change, Dr Ranjan, said, “There is a serious shortage of organs and the gap between the number of organs donated and the number people awaiting transplants is ever increasing. People need to be sensitised how organ donation can provide better quality life to several recipients. In India, organ donation rates are dismal owing to religious beliefs and lack of a supportive system.”

Meanwhile, members of the transplant team performed skits highlighting the importance of organ donation. A quiz contest was also organised which was followed by a felicitation ceremony wherein members of the Transplant Team were lauded for their contribution to patient care. The thank you-note was delivered by Amarveer Kaur, Clinical Nurse and Specialist In-Charge, Transplant Unit, Fortis Mohali.