12th National Transplant Games held in Mumbai

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai: Global Hospital, Mumbai with Narmada Kidney Foundation and Indian Society of Organ Transplantation joined hands to organize 12^th National Transplant Games followed by Donors’ felicitation program on Saturday, 30^th November 2019 at Worli Sports Club, Mumbai. Present on the occasion were Sameer Dighe, Indian Cricketer and Vishwanath, Football coach

Organ donation is the biggest act of benevolence by any human being. It is because of the generous donors that so many patients with end stage organ disease is alive today. Transplant Games includes both outdoor and indoor games (running, walking, carom, pickleball, table tennis, archery and rifle shooting) for both transplant recipients and donors. The objective of these games is to show how transplant patients return to normal and donors continue to remain healthy. In this way, the games will also paint a positive and hopeful picture for the future donors and transplant patients.

Three hundred recipients and donors participated in this spectacular event. Sameer Dighe, Indian Cricketer and Vishwanath, The football coach graced the occasion and inspired the participants.

Dr. Bharat Shah, Managing Trustee of Narmada Kidney Foundation and Director, Institute of Renal Sciences, Global Hospital, Mumbai highlighted “Our foundation-initiated Organ Donors” Day program felicitating living donors and family members of cadaver donors in 1997 and National Transplant Games in 2008. Till now, about 1815 recipients and 936 donors (altogether 2651) have participated in the games showing that donors continue to lead a normal life after donating kidney or part of their liver to their loved one and recipients return back to the near-normal quality of life.

He added that amongst all those who participated, 2/3^rd were from Mumbai and 1/3 from all other parts of the country. The winners of National Transplant Games then go further to participate in World Transplant Games.

Dr. Vivek Talaulikar, CEO, Global Hospital, Mumbai, said, “Global Hospital, Mumbai is relentlessly working hard towards educating and supporting organ donation and transplantation as every 10 minutes a new name is added to the waiting list of patients. The hospital encourages all to pledge their organs by signing an organ donor card through seminars, drives, and campaigns to save precious lives of those affected by end-stage organ failure. It is a matter of pride and pleasure for Global Hospital, Mumbai to be associated with Narmada Kidney Foundation and Indian Society of Organ Transplantation for such a noble cause. We look forward to carrying out more such initiatives in the near future.