Promoting Organ Donation: Minister Anupriya Patel's Call to Action at 14th Indian Organ Donation Day

Minister Anupriya Patel emphasized the life-saving importance of organ donation during the 14th Indian Organ Donation Day ceremony. She urged citizens to pledge their organs and praised the country's efforts towards organ transplantation. Awards were given to outstanding contributors in the field to recognize their efforts.

Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, underscored the critical role of organ donation during the 14th Indian Organ Donation Day ceremony organized by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) on Saturday. She encouraged citizens to donate their organs posthumously to save lives, calling it an act of immense compassion.

Patel honored 10 family members of deceased organ donors and four organ recipients, celebrating their altruism and bravery. She also presented awards to the best-performing states, institutions, professional societies, and NGOs in organ donation and transplantation. She called the donors' families an inspiration and urged more people to pledge their organs.

Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support for organ donation, Patel noted India's progress compared to countries like Spain and the USA. Dr. VK Paul of NITI Aayog emphasized the massive gap between demand and supply of organs, urging more hospitals to offer transplantation services. He praised the 'One Nation, One Policy' initiative, which simplifies the transplantation process.

Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra stressed the need to boost awareness as many patients are in desperate need of organs. He launched NOTTO's annual report, an e-Newsletter, and a Standard Operating Procedures manual for organ transport.

(With inputs from agencies.)