Chandigarh : 26.09.23- : Celebrating National Pharmacist Day, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University , reiterated its commitment for the noble cause of Organ Pledging by organising an engaging and impressive Awareness Session in collaboration with ROTTO (NORTH) PGIMER for its faculty and students at Deptt. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University today.

The awareness session aptly themed as ‘ Pharmacists strengthening healthcare system: Angdaan Mahadaan’, witnessed an enthusiastic response 41 pledging their organs on the spot and more evincing interest to join the cause.

Organised under ROTTO’S ‘Student Engagement Project’, the session was attended by over 150 students and faculty members and was presided over by Prof. Anil Kumar, Chairperson, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The other faculty members present on the occasion included Dr. Neelima Dhingra, Dr. Sangeeta Pikhawal Sah, Dr. Anurag Kuhad, Dr. Ashwini Kumar and Dr. Anirudh Gupta. The resource team from ROTTO (North) comprised Ms. Saryu D Madra, Consultant (IEC/Media) accompanied by team members Gurpinder Singh and Manpreet Singh at the session.

Addressing the hall full to its capacity, Prof. Anil Kumar, Chairperson, , University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences deliberated on the Institute’s vision and values of societal well being and stated, “The act of donating one's blood or pledging organs during one's lifetime is the most appreciable deed one can do. It's giving someone a second chance to live and there cannot be anything more altruistic than the ‘gift of life’.

Complementing the authorities for taking the initiative, Prof. Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent & Head Dept of Hospital Administration cum Nodal Officer, ROTTO (NORTH), PGIMER said, “Students being the change agent, any engagement activity with them always has much better cascading impact. With the right kind of counselling, advocacy and training workshops more & more people can be encouraged to pledge for organ donation and thereby, help in saving precious lives, otherwise being lost due to shortage of transplantable organs.”

Urging his students to pledge for Organ Donation, Ms. Saryu D. Madra, from ROTTO (North) underpinned, “With waiting list getting longer, the gap between organ demand and availability increasing at a rapid pace and helpless patients dying every day while waiting for a transplant, it is vital that more and more of us pledge for organ donation as the solution to organ shortage is possible only through systematic strengthening of the deceased donor programme.”