MEDIA CAN BE A POWERFUL FORCE IN TRANSFORMING ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS, SAYS ROTARIAN LAL GOEL
by Prashant Kapadia/NHN
Chennai, 3 February 2026 — The media has the power to transform public attitudes and significantly increase organ donation awareness in India, said Rotarian Lal Goel while addressing senior officials at Doordarshan Kendra, Chennai, on 3rd February 2026.
Speaking as Chief Guest and Resource Person, Rotarian Lal Goel — Founder and Charter President of the Rotary Club of Organ Donation International and Chairman of the Organ Donation India Foundation & GYAN — emphasised that India continues to face a severe shortage of organ donors, leading to thousands of preventable deaths every year.
Drawing a powerful parallel with the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated,
“Just as the media played a decisive role in educating the nation during COVID-19, it can now create a similar mass movement for organ donation. Awareness saves lives — and the media is the strongest bridge between knowledge and action.”
He urged media organisations to treat organ donation as a sustained social responsibility campaign rather than a one-time coverage event. He particularly appealed for regular pro bono public service announcements, survivor stories, expert discussions, and myth-busting programs to reach diverse audiences across urban and rural India.
Rotarian Hemalatha Bhandari, President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Organ Donation International, introduced Rotarian Lal Goel and highlighted his decades-long national and international advocacy for organ donation awareness.
The programme — the first of its kind at Doordarshan Chennai focused exclusively on organ donation — was attended by Shri Aligeti Narasaiah, Head of Office and Deputy Director General in Charge; Shri M. Jayasingh, Joint Director and Regional News Unit in Charge; Shri V. Navneeth, Head of Programmes; and senior officials including Shri Siva Balan and Shri A. Natarajan.
Concluding his address, Rotarian Lal Goel expressed gratitude to the Doordarshan team for their openness and commitment to this life-saving cause and presented them with the Rotary Club flag as a symbol of partnership in spreading awareness.