Jammu, Sep 3: Asserting that “Angdan Se Jeevandan”, a panel of doctors Today said that one person after death can help eight persons by donating organs.
The panelists were speaking at an awareness camp “Angdaan Se Jeevandan” (Deceased Organ Donation program) organised by the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, GMC Jammu under the aegis of “Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav” on the occasion of “National Eye Donation Fortnight”.
As part of this, the team of SOTTO J&K and Ophthalmology Department created awareness among patients and visitors on organ donation including cornea, kidney, liver, etc. National Eye Donation Fortnight is observed from August 25 to September 8.
Dr. Shashi Sudan Sharma, Principal GMC Jammu pledged to donate her organs and tissues and appealed to the public to come forward to donate eyes and organs (after the demise) as one person can help eight persons by donating organs.
She said that there is a wide gap between patients who need transplants and the organs that are available in India. “More than 1.8 lakh persons suffer from renal (kidney) failure every year and the number of renal transplants is less than 7000 per year,” she said adding, “around 2 lakh people die of the end-stage liver disease every year and hence 25-30 thousand liver transplants are needed annually in India but only around 1500 transplants are performed every year.”
“We should help each other while we are alive and even after our death we can help someone by donating our organs/tissues because “We are born with the ability to save lives”, she added.
Dr. Satish Gupta, HOD Ophthalmology, GMC Jammu said that a person of any age can donate corneas. Thousands of people lose their lives due to the unavailability of organs and we can save their lives by donating our organs/tissues after death. (UNI)