BHUBANESWAR: In recognition of the sacrifice and courage of those who save the lives of others by donating their organs, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced their last rites will be performed with state honours.
The chief minister said the state government’s initiative aims at honouring donors for their courage and sacrifice. It will also create awareness in the society on the importance of organ donation and motivate people to come forward for such a noble gesture, he added.
“Organ donation is a noble gesture. The relatives of brain-dead people, who take the courageous decision of donating the organs, play an important role in saving many human lives,” he said in a release issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO).
The chief minister said the state government had set up the State Organ and Tissues Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) in 2019 to make the process of organ donation easier. The government has also instituted Suraj Award for organ donors in 2020 to encourage organ donation.
The award has been instituted in the name of Suraj from Bhanjanagar of Ganjam district. Suraj sustained critical injuries in a road accident and was declared brain dead by doctors during treatment. His relatives decided to donate his major organs and their decision helped save the lives of six persons later.
Besides, the state government has also been providing Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the family of organ donors. The chief minister has been honouring their relatives on World Organ Donation Day on August 13.