Bhubaneswar: Odisha on Wednesday observed World Organ Donation Day with a solemn ceremony at Lok Seva Bhawan, honoring the extraordinary generosity of organ donors and their families.
At the event, 25 families of deceased donors were conferred the Suraj Puraskar along with a cash prize of ₹5 lakh each for their selfless act of saving lives through organ donation.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, who attended as chief guest, described organ donation as the “greatest act of humanity,” praising the courage of families who chose to donate their loved ones’ organs after death. He said their actions had given a second chance at life to many in need of transplants.
Instituted in memory of late Suraj Behera, whose parents donated his organs to save another person’s life, the Suraj Puraskar is awarded annually on August 13 to deceased donors’ families and to institutions that promote organ donation. The award includes state honors for the donors during their last rites.
Among those honoured this year were families from across Odisha, including Jharsuguda, Nayagarh, Khordha, Kendrapara, Balasore, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Bhadrak, and other districts.
The state currently has 14 hospitals registered for organ transplantation. Officials expressed hope that recognizing these donors’ contributions will inspire more citizens to pledge their organs.
The ceremony was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aswathy S., Director of Health Services Dr. Amarendra Swain, district collectors via virtual mode, senior Health Department officials, and relatives of the awardees. The program was coordinated by Deputy Secretary Aruna Tripathy.
