Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi along with his wife Sunita Dwivedi has pledged to donate their organs after death in a bid to promote the noble cause of organ donation across the country. Making a strong appeal to fellow citizens, especially youngsters and defence personnel, the Army Chief urged everyone to come forward and turn organ donation into a national movement.
Priority to women and donor families
Speaking on the initiative, General Dwivedi asserted that changes have been made under the National Organ Donation and Allocation Programme, which now gives priority to female recipients and the families of donors during organ allocation. Calling it a "great initiative" to boost participation, he encouraged people to take the pledge and help save lives.
India ranks second in organ donation
The Army Chief further shared that India conducts close to 20,000 organ transplants annually which has placed the country second only to the United States in global rankings. He stressed that the Army's duty extends beyond protecting borders as it includes contributing to the welfare of society as well. He said donating organs is a powerful extension of this responsibility.
Serving humanity beyond the uniform
Emphasising the role of soldiers as lifelong servants of humanity, Gen Dwivedi added that stepping forward in this direction would send out a powerful message that "a true soldier serves the nation even after death".
How can one donate their organs?
According to the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation (ORBO) of the AIIMS, a person can donate his or her organs either by pledging when he or she is alive or if his or her family gives consent after their death. For the first step, the person needs to fill out the organ donor form in the presence of a couple of witnesses, including a family member. The person can download the ORBO form by visiting its website at orbo.org. ORBO will issue an organ donor card and a registration number for this.
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