Headlines
Father Davis Chiramel to help Britain's ailing health service
By
By Anasudhin Azeez
London, Feb 2
Father Davis Chiramel, chairman
of the Kidney Federation of India popularly known as "Kidney Father From
Kerala", has launched a voluntary charity organisation in Britain to
add more organ donors from the South Asian communities, especially
Indians.
According to Asian Lite newspaper, more than 1,200
patients from the Asian communities in Britain are waiting for a
matching kidney donor.
The state-funded National Health Services
is spending millions of pounds from their stretched budget to treat
these patients through dialysis and medicines on a daily basis. Kidney
transplant of these patients will ease the pressure on the cash-strapped
NHS.
Sibby Thomas, 47, a volunteer of the organisation Upahaar,
which means gift and who hails from Kerala, has already undergone an
operation to give one of his kidneys to ailing Risa Mol, 15. Father
Davis was present at London's Guy's Hospital throughout the five-hour
operation to support Sibby and his family.
Francis Mathew,
president of the UK Malayalee Association (UKMA), will join the donor
list very soon. Another prominent Kerala organisation, Federation of
British Malayalees (FOBMA), is also offering their support.
The
father is prompting more organisations and individuals to join the list.
There are nearly 200,000 Keralites living in Britain. Most of them
working in the NHS as nurses and doctors.
Father Chiramel, who
donated one of his kidneys to a stranger to launch Kidney Federation of
India in 2009, has prompted millions to join the organ donation register
in his native Kerala. Father Chiramel said Sibby is an example for the
community to emulate.
"We need more people like Sibby to spread
love and compassion," Father Chiramel told Asian Lite. "Life is a gift
of god and its value increases by sharing with fellow human beings. I
believe Upahaar will spread the message of saving and sharing precious
life with people in distress."
The Catholic priest from Kerala
will launch a 15-day national campaign under the banner of Upahaar on
May 23 at Trafford near Manchester, the birth place of NHS, to promote
blood, organ and stem cell donation.
The campaign titled "Gift of
Life" will be supported by several prominent figures from the Indian
medical fraternity. The campaign will end in London after visiting
several cities in the North, Midlands and South.
(Anasudhin Azeez can be contacted at [email protected])