Say Yes to Organ Donation promotional campaign launched (with photos)
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The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, said at the kick-off ceremony of the promotional campaign today, "To gather more community support for promoting organ donation, the Government launched the Organ Donation Promotion Charter on June 25, 2016. So far, more than 180 enthusiastic organisations, enterprises and schools have showed their support and signed the Charter. Among them, at least 100 organisations have already promoted organ donation through different channels and activities in response to the Government's appeal."
Through the efforts of various sectors in the community, the number of registrations in the Central Organ Donation Register (CODR) of the Department of Health (DH) has now exceeded 225 000, representing an increase of more than 20 000 over that of end June. The increase is almost equivalent to the total registration number of last year, he said.
Dr Ko invited the community to continue to be creative in planning more organ donation promotional activities to boost the registration number. The DH and the Hospital Authority (HA) will provide promotional materials and support.
The setting up of organ donation booths by the DH at 15 MTR stations on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories today marks the start of the "Say Yes to Organ Donation" promotional campaign which will last for more than two months. While volunteers of the Organ Donation Promotion Charter signatories and non-governmental organisations assisted in manning the booths, healthcare professionals were also on site to answer enquiries on organ donation and transplantation. Members of the public can register their wish at the CODR by completing the Organ Donation Form or online via www.codr.gov.hk at the booths.
Following the kick-off ceremony, there was a bus parade arranged by the Food and Health Bureau and the HA. The bus travelled to various locations across the territory to promote organ donation. Apart from the activities organised by the Government, a number of Organ Donation Promotion Charter signatories also held activities today to help the Government promote organ donation.
Besides, the DH will arrange a promotion vehicle visiting 30 locations in 18 districts in November. Games and photo-taking services will be available in the vehicle. Promotional booths will be set up again at a number of MTR stations in December.
The new round of promotional campaign launched by the Government received staunch support from various sectors of the society. They included the MTR Corporation Limited providing venues for launching the kick-off ceremony and setting up promotional booths, supporting organisations and volunteers manning the booths in MTR stations, corporations taking the initiative to finance and conduct publicity activities, groups and academic institutions producing self-financed promotional videos and songs to educate the public; and enterprises providing promotion vehicles and facilitating the distribution of publicity materials and information in their shopping malls and shops.
Other officiating guests included the Chairman of MTR Corporation Limited, Professor Frederick Ma Si-hang; the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Mr Patrick Nip; the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority, Professor John Leong; and the Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Dr Leung Pak-yin.
The public may visit the DH's thematic website (www.organdonation.gov.hk) for more information on organ donation and the territory-wide campaign, or its Organ Donation@HK Facebook page (www.fb.com/organdonationhkeng) to follow the latest information.
Ends/Saturday, October 15, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:44
Issued at HKT 19:44
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