Telangana Jeevan Daan policy ideal for country: Harish Rao

Hyderabad: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday said that the Telangana Jeevan Daan policy was an ideal one for the country and was already being followed by different states as over 4,000 organs were collected since 2013.

The Health Minister participated in Jeevan Daan Organisation's awareness programme under the Jayachandra Reddy Charitable Trust here in Hyderabad on Sunday. The Health Minister said that many blindly believe in certain beliefs and think organ donation was wrong out of fear. In organ donation, it can be said in one word that it is a great blessing that we can live even after death. By donating the organs of an accidentally brain-dead person to others, one's life ends but another journey begins in the form of another's life, he said.

Harish Rao said that the State government was saving lives by providing organs based on seniority. The doctors go and counsel the family members of brain dead patients. The government recognised and honoured 162 family members who donated organs and worked hard to save another's life as real heroes, he said, complementing those who had pledged to donate their organs. He recalled that on the occasion of National Organ Donation Day, the government had recognized 162 families as real heroes who made organ donation happen despite the pain of losing their loved ones. Because of their decision many people are reborn today.

The minister said that Telangana ranks first in organ donation. Telangana has launched an online portal for the first time to make the process transparent. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Orissa and Karnataka along with the central government are following the policy of state government. A total of 36 government hospitals are registred in Jeevan Daan, while organ transplantations are being done in NIMS, Osmania and Gandhi hospitals. Jeevandan was started in 2013 and till now 1,142 brain dead patients have donated organs. A total of 4,316 organs were collected and transplanted to those in need, he said.

While the organ donation rate is 0.6 per cent per ten lakh people in the country, it is 5.08 per cent in Telangana. While Telangana is at the top position in the country with 179 organ donations so far this year, Gujarat is lagging behind with 126, Karnataka 114 and Maharashtra 80 donations. But this is not enough. There are 3,000 people who are registered in Jeevan Daan and looking to extend their life by transplanting their organs. MLA D Sudheer Reddy, TSMSIDC Chairman Errolla Srinivas, Jeevan Dan Coordinator Dr Swarnalatha and others participated in the programme.