Global Hospitals, Narmada Kidney Foundation (NKF) and BOBMC (biker clubs of Mumbai) jointly organized bullet ride (healthy kidneys, smooth ride) to spread the message of organ donation on World Kidney Day on March 4 in Mumbai.

The participating BOBMC (Brotherhood of Bulleteers Motorcycling Community) members of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Jamshedpur, Thane and Nagpur are Bisons Ride Hard, Inddiethumpers, Rebel Riders, Mocha Bike Association, Wanderlust, RoadShakers, Firelords, Enfield Pirates, Free Flow Thumpers, Iron Bulls, India Bull Riders and Road Melters.

These clubs along with the Global Hospitals and NKF representatives and volunteers rode to: increase awareness about kidneys and their functioning, highlight diabetes and high blood pressure as key risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), encourage systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD, encourage preventive behaviours, educate medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of kidney disease, particularly in high risk populations, stress the importance of local and national health authorities in controlling the growth in the number of people with CKD and take action and invest more in kidney screening and encourage transplantation as a ‘best outcome’ option for kidney failure and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative.

Dr Bharat Shah and Dr Prashant Rajput started the programme by highlighting the fact that with increasing incidence of diabetes and high blood pressure there is an increasing incidence of kidney disease. He mentioned that about 10 per cent of Indian population suffers from CKD and every year, about 3 to 4 lac people develop kidney failure. There are only 2 treatment options for these patients – life long dialysis and kidney transplantation. Dialysis is a far inferior and much more expensive treatment than transplantation. Yet only 1 per cent of kidney failure patients get transplant. The main reason is that there are not enough donors. Dr Shah said that if all of us were to pledge our organs after death, all kidney failure patients could get a transplant. While talking about death, Dr Shah explained about the concept of brain death.

Dr Bharat Shah addressed at St. Thomas Church in Goregaon and explained the concept of “brain death” and highlighted the importance of organ donation after death for benefit of many patients with kidney, liver, heart and lung failure waiting for transplantation. He said that the slogan of Narmada Kidney Foundation is “Don’t take your organs to heaven for God knows they are needed here.”

At Global Hospital, Parel where a skit was played by a transplant patient Patkar and his group to create awareness about brain death and organ donation.

All the biker clubs of BOBMC who support this cause through the ride and online, equivocally stated that – “We are glad to be part of this social cause on World Kidney Day, as we believe that increased awareness about organ donation could actually help those in need of a kidney or any other vital organ. We as bikers believe in giving back to the society and this is our small way of doing it. We are glad about our association with Narmada Kidney Foundation and Global Hospitals and look forward to being of any help in any way for the larger good of the society.”

Dr Bharat Shah, a key member of NKF and Global Hospitals, stated that “It is our aim to increase awareness on organ donation and especially kidney donation. We believe through more knowledge we can save many lives affected by a kidney ailment. We look at various avenues to increase awareness and are thrilled about our association with the BOBMC groups that have pledged to support and spread the message of organ donation across the nation.”

Dr Ravindra Karanjekar, executive director-Medical Services & CEO, Global Hospitals, Mumbai said “Global Hospitals, Mumbai on the occasion of World Kidney Day joins hands with NKF to create awareness about kidney transplant. The new hospital of Global Hospitals Group is starting very soon in Mumbai & it would support this cause regularly under the expertise of Dr Bharat Shah. Global Hospitals Group is in the forefront of Organ Transplant and has been engaged in Transplant work at its centers in Chennai, Hyderabad & Bangalore. Global Hospital provides transplant solutions for Liver, Kidney, Heart & recently lungs.”