Ethnic Indian duo on mission to raise organ donation awareness

The cowboy hat-wearing duo are on a mission to collect at least 1,000 organ donor pledges by July 5.

They started from Bukit Kayu Hitam area in Kedah state and reached the halfway mark of their journey in Cyberjaya outside Kuala Lumpur yesterday and already have 500 pledges in the bag.

Dr Ghantan Palanisamy, 26, said his desire to travel throughout the country to spread awareness on organ donation began during his years as a houseman in India after graduating from Kasturba Medical College in Manipal.

Upon returning home, he decided to spend the time before getting his hospital posting by making the 1,000km walk.

"One donor can save up to eight patients, but sadly, there is very little awareness of the importance of organ donation in our country," he said.

His travel partner Ravinder Singh, 24, is an erospace engineer graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Describing the experience as "eye-opening," Ghantan, whose parents are rubber-tappers, said it helped him appreciate the "little things" he had always taken for granted.

"One man bought us a delicious meal and then got all nine of his children and his wife to sign up as organ donors," he said.

According to the spokesman from the National Transplant Resource Centre, there are 15,000 patients on the waiting list for organ transplants, Star newspaper said.

To date, only 190,000 living Malaysians are registered organ donors, the daily added.