Actress Raveena Tandon joins as brand ambassador for organ donation awareness

Espousing the cause of organ donation and lauding Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital (NSSH) for its varied initiatives in spearheading awareness on the importance of organ donation, noted Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon”, who herself has pledged to donate her organs, joined hands with the superspeciality player as a brand ambassador for their organ donation programme.

Stressing on the need for increasing the number of organ donors, Dr Rajendra Patankar, COO, NSSH said, “organ donation is the noblest of deeds. There is a greater need for active donors to come forward as there is a huge demand-supply gap in the country. An organ donation awareness program, through the channelization of efforts of different constituents is the need of the hour. NSSH is actively involved in promoting organ donation awareness programs  through commitment to best health practices and adhering to professional ethical medical standards.”

“The drive for organ donation initiatives should not remain limited to big cities but the momentum should also spread to small cities and towns. It is a great effort on the part of Nanavati to have taken up the cause of organ donation in a big way and the example should be emulated by other big healthcare players with bigger infrastructures and funds at disposal. One of the reasons the organ donation drive has not spread to small towns and villages is the lack of information on such initiatives. The huge information deficit needs to be plugged immediately and doubts concerning organ donation issues should be dispelled at the outset,” stated Ms. Tandon

“More than 79 people in the US avail of organ donations on a daily basis. The situation is alarming in India with around 10lakh people in India suffer from end-stage organ failure; there are hardly 3,500 transplants every year. Around 50 people die every day in India owing to delays in receiving organs.  The situation as regards awareness about organ donation needs to addressed with immediate effect and NSSH is essaying a key role in sensitizing people to the need of donating organs, stated Dr. Deepak Patkar, Director of Professional Services, NSSH.  

With organ demand outstripping supply, there is a pressing need for organizing a huge organ donation movement in the country, with cadaver organ donation accorded the status of a social movement. With around 5 million Indian people suffering from end-stage renal disease and only 2% of the waitlisted patients transplanted with organs, live renal replacement solution has become a viable solution in giving patients a new lease of life. The procedure for screening kidney donors has been simplified through procedures like HLA matching and immunosupression.

“Most of the hearts transplanted in Mumbai till date, have come from donors based in Tier-II cities like Pune, Indore, Sangli and Satara. It is a regretful fact that people in big metropolises like Mumbai are not enthusiastic about donating organs. Not only organ donation but spreading its awareness should form the crux of any viable organ donation initiative.  If all of us pledge to donate our organs, patients suffering from fatal diseases can get a new shot of life. The cycle of life would continue unabated with the living thanking the relatives of deceased patients for donating organs. People should increasingly come forward to donate organs which can go a huge way in reducing morbidity, “stated Dr. Hemant Pathare, Heart, Lung Transplant and VAD surgeon.

Families of donors who had taken the difficult decision to donate the organs of loved ones surmounting overwhelming emotional upheavals were felicitated by Ms. Tandon on the occasion.