Together in Giving: 'He for Her' Champions Gender Equality in Organ Donation

BENGALURU, India, March 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Three major Manipal Hospitals of the Whitefield cluster, Manipal Hospital Whitefield, Manipal Hospital Varthur Road, and Manipal Hospital Sarjapur Road, collectively organized 'He for Her' a joint event to commemorate International Women's Day and World Kidney Day on 11^th March 2024. Along with celebrating the spirit of womanhood, the event strived to raise awareness about gender equality in living kidney donation.

Distinguished team of Nephrologists and Urologists

• Dr Vishnuvardhan BR, Consultant - Nephrology, Transplant Physician, Dr. Deepak Jayaprakash Kaddu, Consultant - Urology, Robotic Surgery, Dr. Prakash Babu S M L, Consultant- Urology, Dr. Shrinivas. R P, Consultant- Urology, and Dr Maria, Consultant, Nephrology from Manipal Hospital Whitefield,
• Dr Garima Aggarwal, Consultant - Nephrologist, Transplant Physician, and Dr. Manoharn B – Consultant Nephrology from Manipal Hospital Varthur Road, and
• Dr Pallavi Patri, Consultant- Chief of Nephrology and Dr Manohar Bhadrappa, Consultant - Urology & Renal Transplant Surgeon from Manipal Hospital Sarjapur Road.

Through interactive panel discussions, the eminent doctors shared invaluable insights on kidney donation. Highlighting the gender disparity, and addressing the misconceptions, fears, and apprehensions surrounding living kidney donations was the centric theme of the event.

The spirit of womanhood lies in strength, resilience, and grace. A woman is often seen as the embodiment of nurturing care, unwavering determination, and boundless compassion, illuminating paths of possibility and lighting the way for future generations. Even when it comes to the altruistic act of giving life through kidney donation, the percentage of women volunteering to be living kidney donors is significantly higher than men. Several studies conducted globally reveal that more than 70% of living kidney donors are women, meaning the proportion of women receiving a living kidney transplant from men is much lower than men receiving a living kidney transplant from women.

Men, often revered as the pillars of strength, find themselves less likely to step forward as kidney donors. Gender disparity in live kidney donation isn't just a statistical observation. It is a reflection of deep-seated societal norms and perceptions ranging from economic pressures to biological concerns. Some identified concerns include:

• Fear of loss of income as the majority of men are the primary earners
• Percentage of men having coexisting medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes leading to their elimination from potential donors
• Pregnancy-induced HLA sensitization increasing the rejection rates in women, precluding spousal donation
• Generalized greater willingness and volunteerism of women toward donation
• Fear of complications of open surgery, mutilation, kidney failure, and infertility

He for Her aims to craft stories of hope, love, and courage that transcend gender roles. The team of distinguished nephrologists and urologists from Manipal Hospitals held an open discussion to increase awareness, address fears and apprehensions, and motivate more men to volunteer living-kidney donations. The event also saw Manipal Hospitals honouring the unsung heroes who have selflessly given of themselves, regardless of gender. On stage were examples of the bond between two sets of siblings where the brothers gifted their respective sisters a new life, two fathers who braved health risks and the risk of advancing age, so that their daughter's health and well-being were restored, and a beloved husband who redefined the true meaning of marital bond, love, and companionship by donating kidney to his wife. 

Men and women, each with their unique strengths and vulnerabilities, have the power to complement and complete one another in ways beyond measure forming a symbiotic relationship where one's gift becomes the other's lifeline. He for Her event echoed a call to action to break the cycle of gender disparity and rewrite the narrative of generosity and compassion.

About Manipal Hospitals:

As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is among the top healthcare providers in India serving over 6 million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable, high quality healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to out of hospital care. With the completion of acquisition of Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited, Vikram Hospital (Bengaluru) Private Limited and AMRI Hospitals Limited, the integrated network today has a pan-India footprint of 33 hospitals across 17 cities with 9,500+ beds, and a talented pool of 5,000 doctors and an employee strength of over 16,000.

Manipal Hospitals provides comprehensive curative and preventive care for a multitude of patients from around the globe. Manipal Hospitals is NABH, AAHRPP accredited and most of the hospitals in its network are NABL, ER, Blood Bank accredited and recognized for Nursing Excellence. Manipal Hospitals has also been recognised the most respected and patient recommended hospital in India through various consumer surveys.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2362771/unsung_heroes.jpg