PGI promotes organ donation at Rose Fest

Tribune News Service

Leveraging the potential of huge footfall, ROTTO, PGI, launched an awareness campaign at the Chandigarh Administration’s prestigious mega event, the Rose Festival, which concluded on a positive note with 157 registering for organ donation and over 1,200 reached out directly for awareness generation at Leisure Valley, Sector 10, here today.

In sync with the spirit of fun, festivity and buoyancy at the Rose Festival, the PGI also engaged with the public through its infotainment campaign, “Be the  Change, Be an Organ Donor”, peppered with street play, face painting, graffiti and signature campaign, quiz competition along with some live music and impromptu dancing.  

Fun and entertainment were the flavour with an underlying message at the stall as students from Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20-D, Chandigarh, showcased their artistic skills deftly using brushes and vibrant colours during the face-painting event on the theme of organ donation. After intently watching the face paintings, on-lookers approached the counsellors enquiring about the “how” and “why” of organ donation.    

A huge crowd was seen at the stall every time young students from Rayat and Bahra University presented a street play on the theme of organ donation. 

Himanshu and Varun played emotional numbers on the guitar. Graffiti and signature campaign gave people a chance to write catchy slogans and win attractive goodies at the quiz competition. All these activities were able to capture the attention of visitors through three days at the fest. 

Many youngsters registered as volunteers to promote the cause. Rohit Kumar, a student from Government College, Sector 11, Chandigarh, who is an NSS national awardee, not only registered himself for organ donation but also reached out to exhibitors in other stalls and made them aware about the cause. 

Encouraged by the success of the initiative, Dr Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO, PGI, appreciated the Chandigarh Administration for its contribution towards the cause and said, “Organ donation is not less because there are no potential donors but because the potential donors do not convert into actual donors due to the lack of knowledge, awareness and socio-cultural views. So the intent behind putting up this awareness stall was to connect with the community at large through infotainment and disseminate basic information and address their queries pertaining to medical concept and mythological aspects.”

Dr Koushal said, “The larger objective is to encourage the citizens to register for organ donation, which is a kind-hearted deed and helps save precious lives, and awareness generation is a precursor to the same.”