Govt to honour organ-donating families

The government has decided to launch a programme which will "recognise and honour" families of persons who donate their organs, a move aimed at boosting the organ transplant programme and encourage people to donate organs.
Noting that most of the transplants in the country were those of eyes and involvement of other organs is "negligible", the Health Ministry has also decided to form an inter-ministerial committee to resolve issues of coordination, and obtain support from other organisations towards this task.
The Ministry also plans to intensify its information dissemination programme about organ transplantation programme and involve all forms of media so that the message is conveyed to the people in a "sensitive and effective" manner.

"It was decided that a programme will be launched for suitably recognising and honouring families of those who donate their organs after their death," the Health Ministry today said after Union Health secretary B P Sharma held a meeting to consider steps for accelerating organ transplant programme of the Ministry today.
The meeting comes in the wake of announcement made by Health Minister J P Nadda to develop a policy mechanism and address the institutional gaps to promote organ donation recently. Apart from senior Ministry officials, technical experts including senior government doctors and private sector took part in the meeting.

It was noted that the rate of cadaveric transplants (organs which come from deceased) as opposed to transplant of organs from a live donor was "very low" while most of the transplants were those of eyes and involvement of other organs is negligible.
"The technology for organ transplantation is well-developed in the country and hence there is a need to give a fillip to the organ transplant programme.
"It was decided that an inter-ministerial committee to be headed by Union Health secretary would be set up to resolve issues of coordination and also to obtain support from other related organisations towards this task," the statement said.