29th May 2018 will be marked as an important milestone in the history of Surat because of two major reasons: First, Hon’ble President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind’s maiden visit to the city and second, the first time in the history of India, felicitation of family members of organ donors by President of India.
It’s been a special function and is no small feat when three important and respected dignitaries of India: President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Governor of Gujarat Shri O.P Kohli, and the Chief Minister of Gujarat- Shri Vijaybhai Rupani, come together for the noble cause of ‘Honouring the family members of the organ donors’ in the city.
The program was organized at the Convention Centre in Sarsana, Surat. Founder President of Donate Life Shri Nilesh Mandlewala welcomed the honorable guests with flowers and memento. At the Exhibition Hall of Sarsana, President Shri Ram Nath Kovind expressed his gratitude to those family members who have taken the decision to donate the orangs of their loved ones just to give the new hope of life to others. He found the great spirit of humanity in these families. He said that such people can prove to be the lifesaver to some unknown person. He also added that the entire process right from the organ harvesting to its transplants requires time management and perfect coordination.
The President thus appreciated the efforts of Donate Life and Nilesh Mandlewala to increase the awareness of cadaver organ donation in the country and assured that they will surely receive the support from the entire country for this work of humanity.
The governor of Gujarat Shri O.P Kohli admired the activities of Donate Life organization along with the doctors, hospitals, the city police, traffic police and the airport authority who directly or indirectly provide support to organ donation and its successful transplantation whenever needed.
Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani said that Gujarat government is proactive in giving clearances for the green corridor, special security and other help for this cause. He further acknowledged how this work of Surat has given pride to Gujarat.
Meanwhile, a book titled “LIVE A LIFE AFTER LIFE, DONATE ORGAN SAVE LIVES” was also released by the Governor Shri O.P. Kohli and its first copy was given to the President of India.
During the program, appreciation for this noble cause came pouring in through social media. Donate Life was flooded with live messages, tweets and posts from- Rashtrapati Bhavan, PMO India, CMO Guj, and other important government officials. These were in turn re-tweeted and reposted.
Some dignitaries also present at the event were – The Health Minister of Gujarat State Shri Kishorbhai Kanani (Kumar), Vidhan Sabha Dandak Shri R. C. Patel, Mayor of Surat Smt. Asmita Shiroya, MPs Smt. Darshnaben Jardosh and Shri C. R. Patil, Government Officials and other invited guests.
In the past year, more than 45% of organ transplantation in Gujarat at IKDRC – Ahmedabad has been done from Surat through Donate Life. Hence, Surat is now known as Organ Donor city apart from being known as a Diamond City and Textiles City.
It is worth mentioning that the Donate Life Surat has procured 249 Kidney, 101 Liver, 6 Pancreas, 17 Heart, and 212 Eyes so far to give new life to 582 Persons. This work that is giving unparalleled dignity to humanity with great empathy, is a reason for support, blessing, and satisfaction for many families.
