51 pledge organs at awareness session

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 22

The State Bank of India, along with ROTTO (NORTH), PGIMER, organised an awareness session on organ donation at its Administrative Office in Sector 68, Mohali, on Saturday.

The session was presided over by Rajeev Arora, General Manager Network 1. As many as 51 participants pledged their organs on the spot.

Dignitaries present were Sukhbir Singh Birdi, DGM Mohali, and Sumit Roy, Regional Manager, Mohali. ROTTO was represented by Dr Naveen Pandey, Assistant Professor, PGI, and Saryu D Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media), ROTTO (North).

Arora deliberated on SBI’s vision and values of societal good and stated: “The act of pledging organs during one’s lifetime is the most appreciable deed one can do.” He demystified the myth regarding religious beliefs. He said: “All the religions teach the values of compassion and altruism. Organ donation is, in fact, reiteration of those values.”

Dr Naveen Pandey said: “It is heartening to see an apex financial institution committing to take forward the campaign to its multiple branches.”

Dr Pandey further underpinned: “With the waiting list getting longer, the gap between organ demand and availability is increasing at a rapid pace and helpless patients are dying every day while waiting for a transplant, it is vital that more and more of us pledge for organ donation.”