Pune: Mass Rally on Organ Donation By BJ Government Medical College

Pune : Doctors in the city are going to gear up together, to create awareness about the importance of organ donation. With this initiative in mind, Government of Maharashtra, through the premier, BJ Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital has decided to organize Organ Donation awareness Mega Campaign. This will be seen with a Mega Rally being organised on 30th Aug.2016 between 8.00 am and 11 am, starting from different points in the city and ending at B. J. Govt. Medical College Ground, Pune.

Dr Ajay Chandanwale Dean, B.J.Government Medical College & Sassoon General Hospital , Pune and Dr Somnath Salgar, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry stated in joint press release that

"As we all are aware, in our country approximately 5 lakhs patients of kidney disease, 50,000 of liver disease and 2000 of heart disease are eagerly waiting for organ transplant.  For this very purpose, Government of Maharashtra has decided to organize Organ Donation awareness Mega Campaign. We request active participation of your Association as a part of this activity. B. J. Govt. Medical College, Pune has organised Mega Rally on 30th Aug.2016 between 8.00 am and 11 am, starting from different points in the city and ending at B. J. Govt. Medical College Ground, Pune."

Through this Campaign, the government aims to maximize the number of voluntary registration for Cadaveric (Post Death) Organ Donation.

Dr. Ajay Chandanwale , Dean BJGMC & SGH  informed, " Vital Organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas can be donated only in case of ‘brain death’.However other tissues like corneas, heart valves, skin, bones etc can be donated only in case of natural death.Each year, thousands of people die while waiting for a transplant, because no suitable donor can be found for them. The need for organ donors has never been greater."

All the willing donors can register at the Web Site - www.dmer.org and take active participation. This is a Government initiative for creating social awareness. For this noble cause,  we urge  active support  from you...

Some FACTS About Organ Donation

Organ donation is the harvesting of an individual's organs after he or she dies for the purpose of transplanting them into another person. The person who gives the organs is called a donor while a person who receives the organ is called a recipient.

All of us can be organ donors, irrespective of age, caste, religion, community, current or past medical condition. Children can also be organ donors after taking consent for organ donation from their parents.

However active cancer, active HIV, active infection (for example, sepsis) or Intravenous (IV) drug use are some of the contra-indications. Patients who have Hepatitis C may still donate organs to a patient who also has Hepatitis C. The same is true for Hepatitis B — but this happens in very rare cases. Most cancer patients may donate corneas.

Vital Organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas can be donated only in case of ‘brain death’. However other tissues like corneas, heart valves, skin, bones etc can be donated only in case of natural death.

Did you know In India every year nearly:

• 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs


• 200,000people die of liver disease


• 50,000 people die from heart disease


• 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one


• 1,000,000 lakh people suffer from corneal blindness and await transplant

Nationally, with a population of 1.2 Billion people, the statistic stands at 0.08 Persons as organ donors per million population (PMP). This is an incredibly small and insignificant number compared to the statistics around the world.

Countries like USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands have a 'family consent' system for donations where people sign up as donors, and their family's consent is required. (These countries have seen the donations double Per Million Population averaging between 10-30 PMP). Other countries like Singapore, Belgium, Spain have a more aggressive approach of 'presumed consent', which permits organ donation by default unless the donor has explicitly opposed it during his lifetime. These countries have seen the donations double Per Million Population (PMP), averaging between 20-40 PMP.

At present, most organs for transplants come from living donors; legally these donors can only be the immediate family. As a result, only a small percentage of organ seekers are able to find compatible and keen donors. An alternative is deceased donation where organs are retrieved from a person declared brain dead. Due to the extremely low number of deceased donations, most people awaiting transplant breathe their last.

For organ recipients, a transplant often means a second chance at life. Vital organs such as the heart, pancreas, liver, kidneys and lungs can be transplanted to those whose organs are failing. It allows many recipients to return to a normal lifestyle. For others, a cornea or tissue transplant means the ability to see again or the recovery of mobility and freedom from pain.

• Live Related Donation: Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ (or part of an organ) for transplantation to another person. The living donor can be a family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister, grandparent or grandchild (living related donation).


• Live Unrelated Donation: Living donation can also come from someone who is emotionally related to the recipient, such as a good friend, a relative, a neighbour or an in-law (living unrelated donation).


• Deceased/Cadaver Organ Donation: The patient has to register in a hospital that does transplants. The patient will be put on a waitlist. As and when the organ from an appropriate deceased donor (brain death) is available, the patient will be intimated.

Brain death results from a severe, irreversible injury to the brain. All areas of brain are damaged and no longer function due to which a person cannot sustain his/her own life, but vital body functions may be maintained by an artificial support system. This maintains circulation to vital organs long enough to facilitate organ donation. People who experience brain death also donate tissues.

The Government has specified that a panel of doctors will certify brain death and not a single doctor. The panel consists of :

1. Doctor in charge of the hospital (medical superintendent)


2. Doctor nominated from a panel of Doctors appointed by the Appropriate authority


3. Neurologist/neurosurgeon/intensivist nominated from a panel appointed by the appropriate authority


4. Doctor treating the patient.

All the willing donors can register at the Web Site - www.dmer.org and take active participation. This is a Government initiative for creating social awareness. For this noble cause,  we urge  active support  from you.