Health Dept Issues Notification to Conduct Last Rites of Organ Donors with Full State Honours

Bhubaneswar: The Health and Family Welfare Department has issued an official notification on the State Government’s decision to conduct last rites of organ donors with full State Honours.

In order to promote and encourage voluntary organ donation in the State, an annual award namely *SURAJ AWARD’ was instituted in memory of Late Suraj Behera, whose parents voluntarily donated the organs of their brain-dead son to save lives of other people.

The donors’ families are also being green a cash award of Rs. 5.00 Lakh each from Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) and the families of organ donors from the State are being felicitated on the occasion of World Organ Donation Day on August 13 every year.

In addition to the above. the Government has now been pleased to decide that the last rites of organ donors of Heart, kidneys, Liver, Pancreas. Lungs and Intestines shall be conducted with full State Honours during the funeral in order to acknowledge the selfless and heroic contribution of Organ Donors and their families.

The notification will be effective from the date of its publication in the Odisha Gazette, the Health Department said.