Chennai, 13 August 2025: Rela Hospital organised an Awareness Walkathon to commemorate World Organ Donation, observed annually on 13 August, drawing participation of over 400 individuals including college students, faculty, doctors, and hospital staff. The Walkathon aimed to amplify the message on organ donation and encourage individuals to pledging organs – offering others a second shot at life.

Showcasing a strong commitment to community driven health advocacy, the 5-km walkathon flagged off from Rela Hospital to Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), Tambaram. Mr. Samay Singh Meena IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Tambaram Commissionerate, flagged off the walkathon along with Dr. DC Gauthaman, Medical Director and Mr. Mohammed Farouk, Chief Operating Officer, Rela Hospital. Senior transplant specialists from Rela Hospital including Dr. Aishwarya Rajkumar, Clinical Lead - Transplant Pulmonology participated in the flag off. Doctors and hospital staff from Rela Hospital also engaged with participants to answer questions on organ donation.

Organ donation can transform the lives of patients suffering from last-stage organ failure. One donor can save up to eight lives through vital organ transplants such as heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestines. In 2024, India had achieved a notable milestone of performing over 18900 organ transplants - the highest recorded in a single year when compared to 2013 which recorded fewer than 5,000 transplants. After the USA and China, India ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants. Despite the numbers, the demand for organs far exceeds availability, making awareness and pledging essential.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Samay Singh Meena IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Tambaram Commissionerate said, “Despite medical advancements, growing disparity between patients awaiting organ transplants and available donors remains a pressing public health concern. Lack of information and awareness are key reasons that hinder individuals from registering as donors. Events like Rela Hospital’s walkathon help bridge this gap by educating the public and normalising conversations around donation.”

In his comments, Dr. DC Gauthaman, Medical Director, Rela Hospital said, “We witness every day at the hospital, how a single donor can transform multiple lives, restore families, and redraft futures. This walkathon is more than an event; it’s a movement to awaken compassion and courage in our community. As a country, there is a greater need for awareness like hosting periodical public dialogues, timely consent from families and robust systems to support diseased donation.  I urge our citizens to consider the legacy they can leave behind not in wealth, but of life.”

The Government of Tamil Nadu in 2023 had announced State Honors for brain dead donors during their last rites, as a move to encourage organ donation. A total of 479 people, including 268 in the last year, have donated their organs and helped save hundreds of lives making Tamil Nadu a leading state in organ donation. Organ donation can be done in two primary ways – living donation where a healthy individual can donate a kidney or a portion of their liver to someone in need. And deceased donation where a brain-dead individual’s organs are donated with the consent of the diseased donor’s family or through prior registration. In addition to organs, tissues such as corneas, skin, and heart valves can also be donated. To become a donor, contact +91 96000 34228.