“Hope Begins with a Donor” – World Organ Donation Week Celebration to Highlight the Power of Giving Life

Coimbatore : As part of World Organ Donation Week, PSG Hospitals Super Speciality in association with Indian Medical Association (IMA), Coimbatore, will organise an awareness programme on 13 August 2026 at the 2nd Floor Auditorium, B-Block, PSG Hospitals. The programme aims to create greater public awareness about organ donation, transplantation and the importance of dispelling myths surrounding organ donation.
The celebration will commence with an Organ Donation Awareness Rally, followed by a prayer song, expert addresses, prize distribution for organ donation awareness competitions, felicitation of organ donors and an Organ Donor Pledge.

The programme will be welcomed by Dr. M. D. Varunn, Medical Superintendent, PSG Super Speciality Hospitals. Special addresses will be delivered by Dr. B. Koshalaram, IMA President, Coimbatore, and Dr. V. Rajesh Babu, Chairman, Blood & Organ Donation Committee, IMA Tamil Nadu. Dr. D. Parameswaran, Honorary Secretary, IMA Coimbatore, and Dr. R. Balamurugan, Finance Secretary, IMA Coimbatore, will also be felicitated during the programme.
Expert Panel to Discuss Organ Donation and Transplantation
A key highlight of the celebration will be the expert discussion titled “Organ Donation – Saving Lives Through Transplantation”, moderated by Dr. R. Karthikeyan, Medical Director, PSGIMSR & H.
The panel will bring together specialists from various transplant programmes at PSG Hospitals:
• Renal Transplant: Dr. G. Vasanth and Dr. Puvai Murugan
• Heart Transplant: Dr. M. S. Murugan and Dr. C. Ananthanarayanan
• Liver Transplant: Dr. L. Venkatakrishnan, Dr. K. R. Kirubakaran and Dr. Biku Joseph John
• Corneal Transplant: Dr. K. Divya and Dr. D. Sundar
• Bone Marrow Transplant: Dr. Shashi Ranjani and Dr. Reshmi Harikumar Pillai
The discussion will focus on how organ donation can provide second chances and renewed hope to patients suffering from end-stage organ failure, while also explaining the medical and ethical aspects of transplantation.

Breaking the Myths Around Organ Donation
Despite advances in transplantation, several misconceptions continue to prevent people from considering organ donation. The programme will particularly emphasise the need to separate facts from myths.

Common myths include the belief that organ donation will affect the donor’s funeral arrangements, that doctors may not try to save a registered donor, or that only young and completely healthy people can donate organs. There is also a misconception that religion prevents organ donation or that organ donation is possible only after certain types of death.
Medical experts emphasise that organ donation is carried out through a regulated medical and legal process, and the priority of healthcare professionals is always to save the patient’s life. The suitability of organs for donation is assessed medically, and age or the presence of certain medical conditions does not automatically rule out donation.

Another important misconception is that one person cannot make much of a difference. In reality, a single donor can potentially save or transform the lives of multiple recipients through organ and tissue donation.

The awareness programme seeks to encourage the public to have open conversations with their families about organ donation and make informed decisions based on facts rather than fear or misconceptions.

Dr. J. S. Bhuvaneswaran, Director, PSG Super Speciality Hospitals, will felicitate the Chief Guest and IMA representatives, while Dr. T. M. Subba Rao, Principal, PSGIMSR & H, will lead the Organ Donor Pledge. A skit on organ donation by the nursing team will further communicate the message of organ donation in an engaging manner. The programme will conclude with a vote of thanks by Dr. Sivakumar Periasamy, Consultant – Cardiac Anaesthesiologist & Intensivist.

Through this initiative, PSG Hospitals and IMA Coimbatore aim to inspire more people to become informed organ donors and reinforce the message that the greatest gift one can leave behind is the gift of life.

“One decision can give someone another chance at life. Become an organ donor. Be the reason hope begins.”