Religious leaders asked to encourage organ donation

Indians have fared poorly when it comes to donating organs. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad says religious leaders have not done enough to highlight its urgency.

Speaking at the Sixth World, and first Indian, Organ Donation Day function in New Delhi, Azad said religion had a role in promoting organ donation.

Religious leaders have always come out to promote a cause, but on spreading awareness on organ donation, they have failed, he said.

India has only 0.08 donors per million population compared to 35.1 organ donors per million in Spain, Britain (27), USA (26) and Canada (14).

Azad said it is "paradoxical" that a country like India with a billion plus population has a shortage of organs for transplantation.

According to the Health Minister, about 1.5 lakh Indians suffer from kidney failure every year, but only 5,000 undergo a transplant due to lack of available organs.

Also, around 10 lakh Indians suffer from corneal blindness, but only 38,000 eyes are collected annually.

Azad stressed on the need for increasing awareness among communities on organ donation especially that of kidney, eyes, liver and heart.

He also informed that a National Programme for Promotion of Organ Transplantation has been initiated for a country-wide system of organ procurements.

Around 3,000 patients die every year due to lack of timely organ transplant surgeries in India.