Organ Donation Day observed
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 03 2025: The 15th Indian Organ Donation Day 2025 was observed today at Hotel Imolesh here under the aegis of the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO).

Notably, SOTTO is an organisation working under the Directorate of Health Services.

Collective organ donation pledge and felicitation of families of organ donors and successful sports persons who are also organ recipients were the main features of the function.

Health Services Director Dr Chambo Gonmei, Additional Director Dr N Bino, Viral Statistics Consultant Dr Meena Seram, National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment, State Nodal Officer Dr Bikram Khoisnam and JNIMS Medical Superintendent Dr Kh Lokeshwar attended the function as presidium members.

Speaking at the event, SOTTO, Manipur Deputy Nodal Officer Dr N Shugeta said that the National Organ Donation Day is observed every year with the primary objective of creating awareness among the public about organ donation.

There is a superstition about organ donation.

This superstition must be removed and voluntary organ donation must be encouraged so that a man or woman can get a new lease of life from a dying or dead person, Dr Shugeta said.

Organ donation or transplantation involves surgical procedure.

It is basically about replacing a dying or dysfunctional organ with an organ donated by another person, she said.

The organ donor may be a living person or she/she may donate his/her organ(s) after death.

Death is divided into two categories; brain death and cardiac death.

Organ donation should be purely voluntary and it should not involve any financial dimension.

The recipient must also be a relative or someone closest to the donor, she said citing the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 1994, Kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, heart and intestine are organs which can be transplanted.

The tissues which can be transplanted are cornea, heart valves, skin, bone, tendons and blood vessels.

Organs donated by a person can save as many as seven lives, she said.

The country requires donation and transplantation of five lakh organs in a year but so far only around 15,000 organs are donated in a year, Dr Shugeta said.

The donor registration rate is just one per cent, she added.

Among the Northeastern States, Manipur is at the forefront in terms of organ donation and transplantation, she said.

She also called upon all the people to promote voluntary organ donation and spread the idea that saving human lives is the highest form of religion.

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