- Suhi Shrestha
Kathamandu.An awareness documentary ‘Rebirth’ (Punarjanma) regarding Organ Transplantation and Donation produced by Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center, Bhaktapur has been released on Saturday 29th July, 2023. The 15 minute heartfelt and life changing documentary specifically about Brain Death Organ Transplantation has been written and directed by Sarana Shrestha. Sarana Shrestha, the daughter of legendary Mr. Madan Krishna Shrestha, has taken up the opportunity of producing such a challenging documentary aiming to make people aware about a less highlighted topic following the footsteps of her father.
The Health and Population Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet had made an appearance in the documentary premiere as the chief guest. Minister Basnet has said that curative health services alone are not possible to build a healthy society so these kinds of documentaries will also play a big role in raising public awareness to prevent diseases.
Dr. Pukar Chandra Shrestha, Executive Director and Kidney & Liver Surgeon of Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center, expressed the need to make this documentary in various ways to eliminate confusion and superstition on organ donation and brain death. He said that making a documentary would be an easy way to explain organ failure and the importance of organ donation to the public in a simple way. Dr. Pukar also expressed that the documentary would be an effective method to motivate people to donate organs after brain death, as it can give others a chance on life. He preaches that donating organs after death is a chance for the patients to stop living their life in black and white but rather live it in full vibrant colors.
The documentary “Purnajanma” has showcased the situation of organ donation and transplantation after brain death through interaction with transplant recipients from other people and how it has drastically changed their lives after that. The documentary shows how a person after an organ transplant will feel like a newborn baby, as they don’t have to endure the pain they had to every day feeling new mentally, physically and spiritually.
Minister Basnet recalls the significant work that Shahid Dharmbhakta National Transplantation Center has been doing in the field of organ transplantation and donation giving people a second chance and opportunity to live. He has also announced that the health sector will take an initiative and help in expanding dialysis and organ transplantation services by increasing the dialysis machine based on patient number as soon as they can.
Sarana Shrestha, the Director of the documentary has expressed her faith and belief that the documentary will be the medium to change people’s perspective on organ transplantation as well as donation. She is hoping that this documentary will be the microscope to many people’s beliefs in terms of organ donation and motivate people to do so. She as a director has depicted
this topic in an amazing cinematography that will bring tears to your eyes and goosebumps to your skin. Needless to say, this documentary will bring change in people’s thoughts and slowly reduce the superstitions while spreading awareness about this topic which is relatively low.
To top off the guest list, (Maha-Jodi) Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya also attended the documentary premier while portraying themselves as another role model by registering their names in organ donor’s list. Along with them other artists like Shweta Khadka, Niruta Singh, Yaman Shrestha and Kiran KC have also added their names as organ donors to leave their marks and inspire the general public to do so.
To shed light in this powerful documentary, the Director and the team have brought this impactful topic to the forefront to address this national subject that holds immense significance. At the end the team hopes people join the forces and become a life changer by registering their names in the organ donor’s list.