Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao honouring family members of organ donors in Belagavi on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao emphasised the need for clearing misconceptions regarding organ donation and motivating people to donate organs as it would help in saving the lives of many.
Presiding over the “Indian Organ Donation Day” programme in Belagavi on Saturday, Mr. Gundu Rao said that while the demand for organ transplant had increased, availability of organs was less. The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Bengaluru and Belagavi and Belagavi Zilla Panchayat had jointly organised the event.
Mr. Gundu Rao said that people during the painful moment of losing their dear ones decide to donate the organs, which in turn would give a new lease of life to another. “Such decisions of organ donation are highly valuable,” he said.
He said that saving the life of a person was a challenging job. While 800 persons were waiting for organ transplant in the State, the availability was just 100 and the government had chalked out an awareness programmes in this regard.
The Minister said that Karnataka stood second in the country in organ donation and the State government was felicitating every family that took the decision of organ donation. The district administrations had been directed to honour the donor’s families during Independence Day and Republic Day, he said.
Mr. Gundu Rao said that all district hospitals had been directed to carry out organ transplants free of cost to BPL cardholders. He lauded KLE Hospital for highest number of successful organ transplants in north Karnataka and it was a matter of pride that it had helped many to get a new lease of life.
Raju (Asif) Sait, MLA, emphasised the need for extensive awareness programmes on organ donation. He said along with regular blood donation camps, awareness programmes on organ donation should be held to sensitise the public.
On the occasion, those who had undergone organ transplants shared their experiences.
Earlier, students of KLE Medical College staged a street play on the significance of organ donation. A short film was also screened. The Minister released the publicity posters and honoured families of the organ donors. MLA Babasaheb Patil, BUDA chairman Laxmanrao Jingle, Health Commissioner D. Randeep, Director G.N. Srinivas. Assistant Director Rajani, and several others took part.
