MADURAI: Government Rajaji Hospital held an awareness seminar for college students on organ donation as part of organ donation week here on Thursday. Relatives of organ donors' and recipients of organs were felicitated and invited to share their experiences. September 15-23 is observed as organ donation awareness week in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. R. Manoranjan, head of nephrology department, said GRH has successfully transplanted organs to 14 patients this year - eight organs were received from live donors and six from cadaver donors. "Most people think that after taking organs from a dead body, the body will get disfigured, but that's not true and it will remain in the same structure," he said.
R Thamarai Selvi (36), family member of a deceased organ donor, said, "My mother Parashakthi (70), was admitted at GRH on August 17 after a road accident. After the doctors declared she is brain dead, we voluntarily came forward to donate her organs. As per the medical conditions of my mother's body, doctors took her skin and bones. My family is happy about donating my mother's skin and bones for free. I encourage others to come forward for donating organs."