Creating public awareness on organ donation

New Delhi, April 3 (ANI): A large number of people of all age groups took out a march to spread public awareness about organ donation from neighbouring Noida to Akshardham temple in the national capital on Saturday.

Participants, including doctors, students and patients, were holding placards and banners reading 'Donate organs, save lives,' 'Organ donation is the biggest donation,' etc., marched for two kilometers from Noida to culminate the awareness campaign at Delhi's Akshardham Temple.

The walk named 'Donorthan 2010' was organised under the aegis of a leading private hospital.

The rally also saw the participation of some patients who needed organ transplant, besides their relatives.

Health officials believe that the problem of refusing to donate organs was a social problem and could be solved through mass awareness as many people failed to come forward for this cause because of illiteracy and other dogmas.

A recent study by a Delhi-based hospital said that, last year there were only 110 donors in the entire country as against a requirement of 25,000 donors for 100,000 transplants.

Many-famed specialists urged the masses that one donor can possibly give gift of life to many terminally ill patients who would not survive otherwise.

"Today, we want to create awareness that brain dead person can donate all organs...by making such organ donation a person can save the lives of at least 5-6 persons. Organ donation is giving another life to a patient and I feel that brain dead person can save lives of many people through donations, "said Dr Arvinder Soin, a surgeon.

Brain Death is the irreversible and permanent cessation of all brain functions. In this situation the brain can no longer send messages to the body to perform vital functions like breathing, sensation, obeying commands, etc. (ANI)