Organmeetings: Together for a stronger chain of life

Organ donation may be considered an act of supreme solidarity and a praise to the value of life itself, but at the same time it is an issue that raises questions and causes fear to those who lack information about it. Moreover, the spread of misinformation, whether out of ignorance or due to malicious intent, makes it even harder for all of us to distinguish what is true and what is a myth about organ donation and transplantation.

For example, the news that "a brain-dead man woke up while the doctors were removing his vital organs" recently made its way around the world. Is this a medical error, a journalistic misstatement, or can a brain-dead man really be brought back to life?

This question, as well as many others that are currently part of the public debate, will be answered in Organmeetings. This awareness raising program is organized for the 6th time, in the form of a webinar, on Wednesday 18 December 2024, by the Onassis Foundation, under the scientific auspices of the Hellenic Transplant Organization and the Onassis Hospital.

Businesses and companies that wish to include in their corporate responsibility program a substantial information and awareness-raising action on organ donation, journalists and the media that wish to have access to correct information, free of stereotypes and fake news, institutions, organizations and associations with social contribution that wish their employees or members to be recipients of the great message of solidarity and hope that organ donation represents, can fill in the relevant participation form.

The form can be filled in only by executives who can organize actions, with the participation of their employees/members, according to their role and capacity (e.g. Human Resources Manager, Marketing Manager, Association Chair etc.).

The program is hosted by specialized representatives of the Hellenic Transplant Organization to address doubts, give answers and provide proper information to citizens.

All companies, bodies, organizations and associations that participate in the Organmeetings receive a 2-year certification from the Hellenic Transplant Organization and, at the same time, as Valuable Links in the chain of life, are automatically included in the official list of supporters of this major information campaign, which has been embraced by more than 1,500 adult citizens in the first 5 seminars.

Organmeetings is part of the Onassis Foundation National Initiative on Organ Donation and Transplantation and is implemented under the scientific auspices of the Hellenic Transplant Organization and the Onassis Hospital. Organmeetings started in March 2023. They are webinars for adults that take place three times a year and they are accompanied by the first complete guide created in Greece for organ donation and transplantation.

Guided by a vision to breathe new life into the organ transplantation sector but also to increase awareness and create an organ donation culture in Greece, the Onassis Foundation decided to undertake a National Initiative in collaboration with the Hellenic Transplant Organization (HTO) and the Onassis Hospital.

Through a holistic approach, the National Initiative on Organ Donation and Transplantation builds new infrastructure, invests in innovation, boosts the institutional framework governing organ donation and transplantation, promotes scientific research and the further development of healthcare professionals and carries out citizen information and awareness-raising actions. The construction of the Onassis National Transplant Center lies at the heart of this National Initiative and it is expected to be delivered to the Greek State in late 2024.