Experts, healthcare leaders and civic representatives discussed the need for greater awareness, timely decisions and collective participation in organ donation
Kolkata, August 2026: On the occasion of World Organ Donation Day, CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI, in association with Rotary, Concern for Calcutta and Kolkata Police, hosted an interactive panel discussion to raise awareness about organ donation and encourage more people to understand the life-saving impact of becoming an organ donor. The session, themed “Leave Behind More Than Memories – Beyond Life. Beyond Self.”, held on 13 August 2026 from at the CMRI Auditorium.
Organ donation can give patients suffering from end-stage organ failure a second chance at life. Yet, despite growing awareness, misconceptions, lack of information and hesitation around the process continue to remain important barriers to donation. The panel will bring together experts from different fields to discuss these challenges and highlight how greater awareness and timely decisions can help bridge the gap between patients awaiting transplants and the availability of donated organs.
The panel featured eminent doctors like Dr Forqan B Shaikh, Consultant – General Advanced Robotic Surgery and Renal Transplant Surgery; Dr Sunil Kumar, Senior Consultant – Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Physician; Dr Anirban Chattopadhyay, Senior Consultant – Head-Critical Care Medicine; Dr Deep Das, Senior Consultant – Neurology and Neuro Interventions; Prof. (Dr.) Arpita Ray Chaudhury, Nephrologist, Head of ROTTO and President, Indian Society of Organ Transplant. The discussion was held by Dr. Koushik Das – Head of Dialysis Unit. The discussion also included Mr. Narayan P Jain, President, Concern for Calcutta, and Mr. Brotrindo Mullick, District Governor 2028–29, Rotary.
The discussion explored the medical, ethical and social dimensions of organ donation, including the importance of timely identification of potential donors, the role of families in making informed decisions, and the need to build greater public trust around the transplantation ecosystem.
The participation of specialists from transplant surgery, nephrology, critical care and neurology, along with representatives from civic and social organisations, is expected to bring multiple perspectives to the conversation.
Commenting on this program, Dr. Sombrata Roy – Zonal Head , CK Birla Hospitals- CMRI says. ‘Through the initiative, CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI and its partners aim to reinforce a simple but powerful message: organ donation is not merely a medical decision—it is an opportunity to give someone another chance at life’.
About the CKA Birla Group
The CKA Birla Group, is an Indian multinational conglomerate with a multibillion dollar revenue. With over 35,000 employees, the group operates more than 50 manufacturing facilities across India and the world, with a presence in diverse sectors including technology, automotive, home and building and healthcare.
About CMRI
CK Birla Hospital, CMRI stands as a distinguished NABH accredited multi-specialty hospital established in 1969 in Kolkata. With 440 beds, CMRI is committed to delivering top-notch medical care to all segments of society. Team ENT that has been at the fore front of introducing state of art treatment options for ENT problems to Eastern India and are now partnering with the Neurosurgical, Maxillofacial, Plastic and Robotic surgery teams to enable removal of complex brain tumours through the nose and ear as also to provide scarless robotic thyroid surgery and complex reconstructive solutions to head and neck cancers.
