Union Minister Anupriya Patel calls for strengthening organ donation movement

New Delhi [India], August 3 (ANI): The 16th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) was observed today with the national event organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare at New Delhi.
The event reaffirmed the Government's commitment to strengthening India's organ donation and transplantation programme while honouring the invaluable contribution of deceased organ donors and their families.
The programme was attended by the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilisers Anupriya Patel, in the presence of Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava,.
In her remarks, Anupriya Patel described the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day as a celebration of the spirit of service and humanity.
She said that organ donation is the highest expression of compassion, as it offers a second chance at life to those battling end-stage organ failure. She expressed her profound gratitude to the families of deceased organ donors, whose selfless decisions have inspired the nation and strengthened India's organ donation movement.
She also appreciated the commendable efforts of several State Governments and encouraged them to continue sharing best practices to further enhance organ donation and transplantation services across the country.
Highlighting India's remarkable progress, the Union Minister stated that the country has crossed five lakh Aadhaar-verified organ donation pledges since the launch of the national digital pledge portal in 2023.
She attributed this growing public participation to the sustained awareness efforts of the Government and the inspiring appeal made by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, which has encouraged citizens to come forward for organ donation while also promoting the timely and safe transportation of organs to recipients, a release said.
She noted that India has made significant strides in organ transplantation, with the number of transplants increasing from 4,990 in 2013 to over 20,000 in 2025, the highest ever recorded in a single year. India now ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants, after the United States and China.
She further highlighted that deceased donor transplants have increased from 837 in 2013 to more than 3,500 in 2025, while acknowledging that a substantial gap still exists between the demand for organs and their availability. She emphasized that addressing this gap remains a national priority.
The Union Minister observed that misconceptions surrounding organ donation continue to be a major challenge. She stressed that no major religion prohibits organ donation; rather, all faiths uphold the values of compassion, service and saving lives, making organ donation a noble humanitarian act. (ANI)