09 March 2011
By Shabana Ansari
Mumbai, India
Actor Salman Khan’s Being Human foundation has now put its weight behind health care initiatives in the country.
The foundation has tied up with the Marrow Donor Registry of India (MDRI) to create a database of marrow donors in India for patients suffering from blood-related illnesses such as leukaemia, thalassemia, aplastic anaemia and congenital immunodeficiency.
"We are trying to involve the younger generation by holding awareness and donation campaigns at colleges in the city. Our volunteers are going from class to class talking about the need for more donors and their role in saving lives," said a spokesperson from the foundation.
One of the first colleges to take part was KJ Somaiya Institute, Sion, where a donation drive was held last week during the annual college festival. The spokesperson said that nearly 400 students signed up on the first day.
"We are glad that colleges are lending their full support to us. We hope more and more people will come forth and register with us, thus making a contribution towards saving many more lives," the spokesperson added.
Haematologists say that at any given point in time, there are more than 3,000 patients looking for a matching marrow donor in the country. That’s where a database such as MDRI comes handy.
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