Rotary Clubs kick-start organ donation awareness camps across city

More than 60 Rotary Clubs will be heading an organ donation awareness initiative in the city for the next five years. The Rotary Clubs will be conducting mega organ donation awareness camp "Live beyond life" across the city. The initiative was flagged off on Saturday, July 29 by Rotarian Prafull Sharma, Rotary District Governor 3141.

According to the members, they will be engaging the youth for organ donation under Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). "There is an acute shortage of skin and organs to help the needy people. There is no better giving than pledging our eyes, skin and organs, which can provide sight and life to someone, we live beyond our life," said District Governor Rotarian Prafull Sharma.

"People still are unaware about organ donation. We will follow the 'two rule' formula which will help to create more awareness. Under this rule, each member of Rotary Clubs will be targeting two hospitals, two schools, two general practitioners, two NGOs, two slums, two societies to create organ donation awareness. This will help to increase awareness among the general public," said Dr Sunil Keswani.

According to the Rotary members, they will be voluntarily spreading awareness at various railway stations in the city on August 20 and a week-long programme during Ganpati festival from August 24 to 31.

Rashmi Das, Rotary club of Lokhandwala Kandivli, said, "We are planning to create organ donation awareness by reaching to the masses at various crowded railway stations on Western and Central lines. Since the Ganpati festival will also start in August, we will be interacting with the masses by visiting 1,800 Ganpati mandals across the city."

Dr Keswani said that Rotary has a skin bank at Airoli and various eye hospitals across Mumbai which will help to provide logistic support for the initiative. He said, "Organ donation begins with making a will to pledge our organs and the relative to contact at the nearest hospital or skin bank after the death of the individual. The cause will be further taken up at the adjoining rural areas after completing first phase in Mumbai."

"City hospitals have facilities to conduct organ transplant. We need to make citizens staying in the city aware about the organ donation initiative," he added.

Harminder Singh, from Rotary Club of Bombay West, said, "The government has been helpful to us by giving permissions when ever needed."