2,000 Mumbaiites pledge to donate their organs

The Rotary Club of Mumbai is set to conduct 24 organ donation awareness campaigns over the next year.

“It was only after I attended a seminar by doctors, I learnt that eyes and skin can be donated by everyone after their death, however, to donate other organs, one needs to be declared brain-dead,” said Manish Gyani, 48, a resident of Borivli, who runs his private business of electrical goods.

Gyani along with two thousand other members of the Rotary Club of Mumbai pledged to donate their organs over the past fifteen days. Most of them made the decision during organ donation seminars conducted by the club.

“I am too young to decide if I want to donate other parts. There are a few reservations, for example, I don’t know how my family would take it,” said Kavita Gupta, 29, a resident of Napean Sea Road, a fashion designer, who pledged to donate her eyes and skin

According to Kavita Munshi, a past president of the foundation, there are 0.08 people per million, in the country who donate organs.

“This is an insignificant number, compared to the statistics around the world and we need to get more people to donate,” she added.

The organisation is set to conduct 24 organ donation awareness campaigns in the city, over the next year.

Dr Sandeep Bhurke, a nephrologist and the member of the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre, who has been conducting many awareness programmes with the organisation, said, “This year, the number of organ donations have been more than what we saw last year, in the same period. People are now more aware of the concept.”