Patients-in-waiting for Organ pledged their support to Organ Donation

More to Give campaign by Fortis designed to create awareness around organ donation in India
Bangalore, August 17, 2017: In an attempt to spur support for the noble cause of organ donation, people awaiting their turn for an organ pledged their support for the cause of organ donation in Fortis Healthcare’s ‘More to Give’ campaign at Forum Mall, Koramangala held recently. Approximately, 607 people pledged their organs during this campaign. Dr. Vivek Jawali - Chairman & Chief of Cardiovascular Department, Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore and Reeth Abraham - Athlete & Arjuna Awardee came forward to support the initiative.

The ‘More to Give’ campaign is part of the commitment towards the cause of creating awareness about the loss of lives that happen for the want of organs. The objective of the activity was to generate a dialogue about the cause of Organ Donation by taking it to the streets of India where the common man can show their support for the cause. Nationally, as many as 6000 participants along with leading personalities lent support and pledged their organs. It is to be noted that last year many servicemen, past and present, pledged to donate their organs.

A single donor can save eight lives by donating the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel. Also, by donating organs and tissues like eyes, skin, bones etc., a single donor can touch several lives. Over the last five years, the organ donation rate in the country has increased ten-fold from 0.05 to 0.5 per million and is likely to touch the 1 per million population mark in 2016. We have made a start but still have a long way to go.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Bhavdeep Singh, CEO, Fortis Healthcare said, “Organ donation is one of the most effective way to save and enrich lives of people awaiting for an organ. It is only lack of awareness that has proved to be impediment for such a low organ donation rate in the country. More to Give is a campaign to address the complexities mired around the cause of organ donation and build a conducive environment for people to feel the need of organ donation. The enthusiastic support to the cause as well as rise in the number of pledge is a manifestation that we are moving towards the right direction.”

Fortis has pioneered the cause as two of its hospitals run the largest heart transplant program in the country. Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai has performed 162 heart transplants which is maximum for any healthcare provider in Asia. Fortis Hospital at Mulund, Mumbai performed a record 50 heart transplants in a span of little over a year. Since 2012, when the FORT program was initiated, 42 organ donors from 10 Fortis hospitals across the country have already donated a total of 128 organs including 17 hearts, 33 livers, 76 kidneys, 1 lung and 1 pancreas. In addition, 110 pairs of eyes.