Raipur. To raise awareness about organ donation and dispel misconceptions surrounding it, the state will host an Organ Donation Festival on August 3, which marks Indian Organ Donation Day. The National Health Mission has issued a circular with guidelines for this event to all Chief Medical and Health Officers and the Director of the State Health Resource Center (SHRC). Additionally, the Director of Medical Education has instructed Deans of all Government Medical Colleges to organize the festival.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has directed all states to observe the Organ Donation Festival on August 3, aiming to educate the public about organ donation and encourage participation. The Government of India has established the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), an apex body responsible for efficient and organized organ procurement and distribution across the country, and maintaining a national registry of donors. Similar organizations have been set up at regional and state levels.
Bhoskar Vilas Sandipan, Director of the National Health Mission, emphasized the need to strengthen health systems to facilitate organ donation and transplantation. Saving eight lives, one organ donor can make a significant impact, but there remains a substantial gap between the demand for organ transplants and the availability of donors.
As part of the Organ Donation Festival, hospitals under the Chief Medical and Health Officers are urged to promote awareness about organ donation. Various activities, including pledge ceremonies, will be organized to disseminate information about organ and tissue donation among the general public.
