The Humanist and Rationalist Organisation (HRO) held an awareness rally on body donation here on Saturday on the International Organ Donation Day. The rally started from Gajapati Square to the Khallikote College Stadium.
The slogan was ‘Donate blood when you are alive; donate organs after death. The significance of the day is to create awareness of donation of vital organs such as eye, heart, lungs, liver, kidney and pancreas, etc. Organs are important to save lives of thousands of sick persons who are really in need, the guests said.
The transplantation of such organs can give a new life to a dying person, they added.
They also said that as per religious rituals there are various methods of cremating the dead bodies in the graveyard which has no such relevance. The dead body is thus reduced to ashes. But if the organs of the dead persons are donated to a living person, who is sick and about to die, then the dead body would be more valuable, they added.
Prof Sadananda Rath, ET Rao, KN Senapaty and Susanta Sabat were present as guests, among others.