Jammu: State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), J&K, in collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, Friday organised an awareness camp ‘Angdaan Se Jeevandan’ (Deceased Organ Donation Programme) under the ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’ and to mark the ‘National Eye Donation Fortnight’ here at GMC Jammu.
The team of SOTTO J&K and Ophthalmology Department created awareness among the patients and visitors on organ donation including cornea, kidney, and liver.
National Eye Donation Fortnight is observed from August 25 to September 8.
Principal GMC Jammu Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma pledged to donate her organs and tissues and appealed to the public to come forward to donate eyes and organs after demise as one person could help eight persons by donating organs.
She said that there was a wide gap between the patients who need transplants and the organs that are available in India.
Dr Sharma said that more than 1.8 lakh persons suffer from renal (kidney) failure every year and the number of renal transplants was less than 7000 per year.
“Around 2 lakh people die of end stage liver disease every year and 25,000 to 30,000 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 and tissues because we are born with the ability to save lives,” she said.
HOD Ophthalmology, GMC Jammu, Dr Satish Gupta said that a person of any age could donate corneas.
“Thousands of people lose their lives due to unavailability of organs and we can save their lives by donating our organs and tissues after death,” he said.