On 27th January 2018, Department of Anatomy of Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences hosted its third dehdaan kritagyata karyakram - an organ donation felicitation programme - to applaud the spirit of body donors. Management along with faculty, staff, students and social workers assembled at Anatomy lecturer hall on Saturday to express their gratitude towards people who donated the body of their deceased family member for study and research purposes.
Shri Dhirubhai Mehta (Prsesident Kasturba Health Society), Dr BS Garg (Secretary, Kasturba Health Society) and Dr KR Patond (Dean, MGIMS) felicitated the kins of donors with bouquet honoring their contribution to the society. The Anatomy hall filled up with the sounds of applaud as the names of the relatives along with the donors were called for. Emotions mixed with sense of pride and satisfaction along with the tears for the lost ones prevailed. Social workers who have added significantly in encouraging people for such donations were also applauded.
Dr MR Shende (Head of Dept of Anatomy) laid stress on the importance of body donation in his inaugural speech. “Human bodies are required to teach medical students about the anatomy of human body. For a batch of every 10 students, one cadaver needs to be dissected to hone their learning”, he informed. “The donations are highly valued and we deeply owe to all those who have come forward to help our budding doctors”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dhirubhai Mehta said, “Body donors are the torch bearers of the society. In felicitating the body donors and their families our mission is to motivate people to step forward and donate their bodies for a good cause”.
A skit played by the students of MGIMS Bioethics Unit followed the felicitation programme. The play captured the audiences’ attention by disproving the misconceptions regarding body donation that breeds in the society and urged everyone to step forward and aid in the country’s progress.
A two minutes silence was observed in the Anatomy dissection hall in the memory of all those whose bodies were studied upon here.
Dr AM Tarnekar (Professor Anatomy) generously thanked everyone for their contribution and inspired the audience to step forward.
