Qutab Minar Turns ‘Green’ to Raise Awareness for Organ Donation

Qutab Minar was lit in green to highlight the cause of organ donation and to raise awareness about people’s ability to save lives.

Highlights

Qutab Minar was lit in green to highlight the cause of organ donation and to raise awareness about people’s ability to save lives
India ranks lowest in organ donation and the rate of organ donation is 0.8 per million of population
MOHAN Foundation, one of the oldest NGOs working in the field of Organ Donation organized the event in India

The iconic Qutab Minar was lit in green to highlight the cause of organ donation. The event was organized in gratitude to Organ Donors and their families for giving the greatest gift of all, the gift of life.//

Conventionally, organ donation is represented by a green ribbon that symbolizes hope for the ones waiting for a second chance through transplantation, which reminded of the men, women, and children who died waiting for a life-saving transplant.

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‘There is an urgent need to raise awareness not just among the general public, but also among doctors and the medical fraternity, as they can guide and counsel patients better.’

Organ Donation: The Gift of Life

MOHAN Foundation, one of the oldest NGOs is working in the field of Organ Donation in India. They have organized the event to bring all the important stakeholders on a common platform to draw focus to deceased organ donation in India.

The event was held at the beautiful terrace of Qla against the backdrop of Qutab Minar in Mehrauli.

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Jeeveshu Ahluwalia, a renowned stand-up comedian, senior surgeons and other medical professionals from all the major hospitals in NCR as well as friends and supporters of the Foundation were all present at the event.

Also, representatives of DGHS, Govt of India and NOTTO attended the event.

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The Foundation also showcased a special exhibition on organ donation, titled “Life before Ashes” to raise awareness about people’s ability to save lives. At the event, human organ installations were made from a mix of mud and real human ashes.

The underlying message was that ‘What has become ashes could have been another human’s heart or kidney. If only the organs were donated.’

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The foundation also released a film on “Counseling potential donor families” to showcase how the treating physician can approach a family on organ donation.

Raise Awareness about Organ Donation

Currently, India ranks among the worst regarding organ donation, where the rate of organ donation is 0.8 per million of population.

“This means that among one million people, not even one person donates their organs, which can save the life of not just one person, but several others. One body’s donation can help up to nine people. The idea has been to raise awareness not just among the general public, but also among doctors and the medical fraternity, who are usually the first ones to interact with a patient and can guide and counsel them better,” said Dr. Sunil Shroff, managing trustee, Mohan Foundation. Shroff added that more such coordinated efforts were needed to improve these numbers.

There is an even greater need for coordinated efforts between policymakers, public and private hospitals, NGOs, etc.

The annual Samarthan event is an attempt by MOHAN Foundation to make this happen.

Why is it necessary to transplant organs as soon as possible after death?

Around 5 lakh people die in India due to the non-availability of organs every year. Patients with organ failures can lead near normal lives, if they receive an organ from a donor on time. In addition, tissues like the cornea can help a blind person see.

Unfortunately, the list of people waiting for a transplant cannot be compared to that of available donors in India, the gap between the donors and the recipients is huge.

Once the organs are harvested, they have to be transported to the recipient's location as soon as possible. This is because the organs last for a limited time outside the body. The heart and lungs can survive for a period of around 4 to 6 hours after harvesting.

With the availability of facilities in several parts of the country for harvesting organs and quick transport through even air ambulances, we now hear of transplants being carried out between cities, and sometimes even between states.

The infrastructure still needs improvement, so that organs of people that have been pledged do not go wasted in the absence of facilities to harvest them.

About MOHAN Foundation

MOHAN (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network) Foundation has been a torch bearer in the field of organ donation in many ways. Started in 1997 in Chennai, it started advocating this very difficult cause at a time when no one in the country was talking about it and the environment was fairly hostile towards this highly taboo topic. Its unique mission is to ensure that every Indian that is suffering from end stage organ failure, be provided with the gift of a new lease of quality life through a lifesaving organ.

Source-Medindia