It is the collective functioning and contribution of all our internal organs that keeps us mentally and physically alive and healthy, inadequate or total non functioning of any of the organs for long periods leads to major health issues caused not only by the failure of that particular organ but of the entire system, internal organs as we all know do not function in isolation but in synchrony and interdependence with other organs and the failure of any one organ triggers a chain reaction that impacts the functioning of the other vital organs as well.
‘Organ Transplant’ is a surgical process by which the entire or a part of a non functioning/diseased organ is replaced with a healthy organ donated by a living or dead person. It is often performed as a final option to save the life of a child/man/woman when the organ in question becomes non responsive to all forms of treatment.
Unfortunately the availability of life saving or quality of life reviving organs/tissues right from the ‘Cornea’ needed for vision reviving ‘Corneal transplants’ to the liver, heart, pancreas, kidney needed to save a life is far below the numbers that are needed all over the world, including the advanced western nations. It is a colossal human tragedy that thousands of people needing various organ transplants to remain alive and healthy wait for long years for the same and die on account of non availability of a donor organ, while thousands of perfectly healthy organs that can breathe new life into a dying person are buried/burned along with the body at cremation.
Healthway Hospitals the multispecialty healthcare institution, well known for its most advanced care and treatment of every organ of the body through its super specialty clinics and for the challenging and trailblazing organ transplants carried out at the center donned a new role of communicating the critical need to donate organs to save lives and awareness on the same. The institution realized that the most effective way to begin its life saving awareness initiative would be by reaching out to young minds and impressing them on the critical need for ‘Organ Donation’. Dr Nikhat Parveen Shaikh, Manager Corporate Relations and Organ Transplant Coordinator, Healthway Hospital gave a most interesting and informative talk on ‘Organ Donation’ covering every aspect of the humanitarian act encompassing the need, process, technology, legal aspects to about 200 students from the 11th standard of the Father Agnel Higher Secondary school and later to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students and NSS Volunteers of the Father Agnel College of Arts and Commerce, the two well known educational institutions at Pilar run by the Xavierian Educational Society. It was a highly interactive session in both places helping to create empathy for those waiting for organ transplant to survive and drive home the critical need to donate organs to save precious lives among the student community, it also helped in dispelling baseless fears, superstitions and doubts that posed an impediment to this life saving act. A painting competition was held on the subject at the end of the session at the Fr Agnel School to test the depth of understanding by the students and winning entries were awarded with Prizes by Dr Nikhat Shaikh and Ms Annie Fernandez, Manager Administration, Healthway Hospitals.
