Need to understand organ donation from scientific & spiritual perspective: Nadda

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun

Terming organ donation as the highest act of human service, the union Health and Family Welfare minister JP Nadda has said that organ donation needs to be understood from both a scientific and spiritual perspective.

He was addressing a national symposium at Dev Sanskriti University, Shantikunj, Haridwar on Saturday. The programme was part of the Dadhichi Organ Donation Pledge campaign. 

Nadda averred that the government of India is continuously working to make healthcare more accessible, effective and people centric. 

He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there have been extensive reforms in the health sector in India. An institutional framework has been developed at the national level to strengthen the organ donation and transplant system and organ donation organizations are being promoted in the states. Nadda said that increased awareness about organ donation has led to an increase in the number of organ donations in the country and that with public participation, it can be transformed into a widespread mass movement. 

Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that India’s culture has been based on the great tradition of sacrifice, dedication, service, and philanthropy. Citing the example of Maharishi Dadhichi’s sacrifice, he said that he donated his bones to protect humanity and religion. Similarly, the story of King Shivi offering a part of his body to save a bird reflects the spirit of compassion and philanthropy in Indian culture. He said that if a body part can give new life to a needy person even after death, then there can be no greater act of human welfare than this. 

Dhami stated that historic work is being done to expand health services in the country, develop medical infrastructure and provide healthcare to the last person standing on the social ladder through schemes like Ayushman Bharat.

 The CM said that efforts are also being made to strengthen health services in Uttarakhand. He stated that necessary steps are being taken to strengthen the organ donation and transplant system in the State. He said that State’s first government tissue transplant centre is being constructed at Government Doon Medical College and a network of organ transplant centres, organ banks and district-level organ donation centres are being developed to ensure timely availability of organs to those in need. 

Dhami praised the work being done by the Gayatri Parivar in the field of spiritual consciousness, moral values and social awareness. He said that Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya has worked to bring spiritual contemplation and scientific perspective to the masses in a simple form. The vice chancellor of DSU Chinmay Pandya said that Yagna is the backbone of Indian culture. He said that the true spirit of Yagna is the dedication of one’s time, labour and resources for the welfare of society. Hundreds of people took the pledge to donate their organs in the programme. 

Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik and others attended the programme.