Wall of Honour at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital recognises life-saving organ donors

Coimbatore: Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has inaugurated a 'Wall of Honour' to recognise individuals who donated their organs after being declared brain dead, honouring their contribution to saving the lives of patients awaiting transplants.

The initiative also aims to raise awareness about organ donation and encourage more families to consider donation during difficult times.  

The memorial, set up in the hospital's waiting hall, displays the names of organ donors engraved in golden letters as a lasting tribute to their selfless act. According to hospital data, 30 people have donated organs at CMCH since February 2020, leading to the retrieval of 95 organs. These donations have benefited around 100 patients, who have successfully undergone transplant procedures at the hospital.   

The first name inscribed on the wall is that of a donor who donated organs in February 2020, while the most recent addition is of a donor whose organs were donated on July 5. 

Hospital authorities said organ retrieval is carried out only after a patient is declared brain dead and consent is obtained from the family under the Brain Deceased Organ Retrieval and Transplant Programme, with guidance from the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN). They added that awareness programmes are regularly conducted to educate the public about the importance of organ donation, and that a final tribute is paid before the donor's body is handed over to the family.

According to The New Indian Express, the hospital described organ donation as one of the highest forms of humanity and said the Wall of Honour has been created to ensure donors are remembered for their life-saving contribution.

The memorial, built at a cost of Rs 10 lakh, was inspired by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and reflects the Tamil Nadu government's decision announced in 2024 to honour organ donors across the state.