Transplant Recipients Receives Blessings From His Holiness the Dalai Lama as Apollo Hospitals Celebrates 15 Years of Successful Liver Transplantation

NEW DELHI, December 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The Apollo Hospitals Group marked the 15th anniversary of its liver transplant program with a gathering of transplant patients and their family members at the hospital. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who spoke on the wisdom of compassion to patients and staff of the hospital, graced the event. Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group along with several dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Apollo Hospitals has been a pioneer in organ transplantation in the country. The program with 1200 liver and kidney transplants in 2012 became the world's busiest and while  celebrating the anniversary, His Holiness The Dalai Lama applauded the patients and their families for the fortitude shown by them.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, "Compassion is an understanding of the emotional state of another. It is a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another or to show special kindness to those who suffer. I am glad to be a part of this gathering, celebrating the joy of overcoming ailments and encouraging one and all to be part of promoting healthy living."

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Prathap C. Reddy said, "I on behalf of the entire Apollo family would like to thank His Holiness for gracing the occasion today. His Holiness is a global thought leader and to hear him today was as wonderful as ever. His enlightened words on compassion have left an indelible mark on me. We at Apollo Hospitals pledge to do our utmost to touch a billion lives in whatever way possible. A small step towards that is our pledge to sponsor and help five children of Tibetan origin with cardiac ailments at our hospitals every year. I would also like to congratulate our transplant team for becoming the world's busiest in transplants. This is a testament to our expertise and untiring determination to make the nation proud."

Dr. Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group and Senior Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology said, "Today indeed is a meaningful day as 200 transplant recipients and their families received blessings from His Holiness and they will share what was a truly divine experience with the 15300 other families who have received a liver or a kidney transplant at Apollo Hospitals. Our doctors, nurses and all the staff of our hospitals are fortunate to have received His Holines 's blessings in person today."

Apollo Hospitals, under the aegis of the Gift A Life (www.giftalife.org) initiative, has been an active partner in advocating and undertaking activities aimed at promoting the cause of organ donation. The mission of Gift A Life is to ensure that no person in India dies for want of an organ. The initiative has been running successfully for the past two years, where the initiative has been associated with a varied like-minded institutions and partners across the country to conduct awareness drives amongst people on organ donation.

About Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (AHEL)

It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap Reddy made a pioneering endeavour by launching India's first corporate hospital - Apollo Hospital in Chennai. Now, as Asia largest and most trusted healthcare group, its presence includes over 8,500 beds across 51 hospitals, 1,503 pharmacies, 92 primary care and diagnostic clinics, 100 telemedicine units across 10 countries. Health insurance services, Global projects consultancy, 15 colleges of nursing and hospital management and a research foundation with a focus on global clinical trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell and genetic research and the first Proton Therapy Center across Asia, Africa and Australia.

In a rare honor, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo's contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For more than 30 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.

Primary Media Contact: Parul Chabbra, [email protected], 91-9810588410

Secondary Media Contact: Kusum Sahijpal, [email protected], 91-9999973090