Donate..but what?

This post has nothing to do with travel or animals or books....but its something very close to my heart, so I thought of using this platform to share it with all of you.

Organ shortages are a global problem, but Asia lags behind much of the rest of the world. The organ donation rate from dead bodies in India is estimated to be a minuscule 0.05 per million people (although India has among the world's highest number of deaths from road accidents). Hong Kong's organ donation rate is less than 5 per million, while it's 25 per million in the United States.

It is estimated that every year 3 million people in India suffer from End Stage Renal disease; only 2,500 are lucky to receive a transplant. The dearth in supply of organs can be matched with the demand, if cadaver organ donation is encouraged and supported by the government and promoted by the medical fraternity. So far, Cadaver Organ Donations accounts for only 0.25 percent of transplants done every year.

Most people in India are not aware that they can donate their organs and can ensure that several people can live a healthy and happy life because of this donation of theirs. It does not cost anything and it is the best donation anyone can make. Most Hindus spent their life going to temples to make sure that they have a good life after death. What they don’t know is that they can make sure that lives of several others can be made wonderful if they decide to donate their organs after death. If there is a God, then I am sure he will ensure that people who donate organs have “good life after death” in heaven J.

As a child, I was always keen to donate my eyes after death. Over the years I have realized that its not only the eyes that matter, all organs if donated can save lives and bring happiness to so may people – its the best donation one can ever make. Who knows, the person who gets life because of you may fulfill all your dreams that you yourself could not!

All you need to do this is to talk to your next kin and family and fill up the donation card (available in most hospitals) and carry it with you always. It is also beneficial to put your wish of organ donation in word and sign and get it counter signed by two witnesses.

Make sure that you family supports you in this as they are the ones who will execute this for you. Give your family a reason to smile even when you are gone – by knowing that you are there somewhere in this world thinking about them.

Its that time of the year!!!

This post is not about a weekend get away or a longer holiday (Well, I could have written about my recent visit to Jammu city – but since it was an official trip, ‘professionalism’ demands that I do not write about it on my ‘personal’ blog!!). This post revolves around a recent ‘trip’ to Delhi (from Gurgaon) for a wedding of a friend. The ‘trip’ took some 3 hours each side to cover a distance of 60 kms!!!!!! The news is that some 22000 people in Delhi decided to get married on the same day and around the same time . Thank God that there were 4 of us in the car (and I must mention here that the friend driving the car was very patient and saved us from becoming patients of impatience). What is interesting is the fun we had during the JOURNEY – the discussions varied from recession to shopping/travel, equality vs. equal opportunity, traffic on Delhi roads specially during ‘wedding season’ and the possible solutions to reduce it. We thought of some innovative solutions (though we also concluded that probably China has already used some of them – to control population!!) for this:
1. Welcome back the Quota System: Every year, the local administration should release a quote for number of marriages that can take place on a particular day and those desiring to get married should register with the administration. Yes, there will be administrative issues and corruption and touts that will emerge because of this- but then we as Indians are used to all this- right??!
2. Time of Day Charges: Separate quota and charges of marriages during different times – peak and off peak – attached with it could be special discounts for off peak weddings……ye ye ye!!!
3. Postpone the hungama: The wedding ceremony becomes a private family affair and the big blast celebrations come later (during the off peak season)

So, which of the above you think will work in saaddi dilli???
Before I forget, almost all the cars on the road had decked up people and even brides and grooms waiting in the traffic!!

Coming back to the wedding, we finally reached the venue and it was beautiful – the groom also got caught in the traffic so we did manage to see the jai mala ceremony. Wishing the lovely newly weds a beautiful life together (this post is especially for them!).