The President Ram Nath Kovind on May 29 urged medical and educational institutions to create awareness about organ donation to help a larger number of people in need of such organs and their families get get a fresh lease of life.

Speaking in Surat at a function to felicitate the family members of cadaver organ donors, Kovind said, "Organ donation is greater than any other form of donation, as it gives a new lease of life not only to one person, but to his entire family. It is not new for our country to opt for organ or body donation."

Citing a survey, the president told the audience that around 20 lakh people in the country are waiting for kidney transplant. "Similarly, around 1 lakh people are in the waiting list for liver transplant. However, this situation is improving gradually now. Awareness is also increasing, as more and more people are coming forward for organ donation," he said. He expressed happiness about the changing mindset towards organ donation in the country.

"I have been told that India is doing well in terms of organ donation, especially donation of kidneys by living persons. The situation has also improved in terms of eye donation. I have been told that Surat stands among the first in doing such donations," he said. Kovind urged various institutions and people associated with this activity to spread the message of organ donation in a simpler language to reach out to masses.

"Encouraging people to donate their organs is a true service to the mankind. Medical institutions, NGOs and colleges should try to spread more awareness among the people about organ as well as body donation using easy-to-understand language," he said. Kovind opined that such felicitation programmes also encourage people and institutions working in this field get motivation.

"In 2017, we had also organised a similar programme in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where we felicitated those who had pledged for donating their organs. That is the reason why I have accepted the invitation to attend this programme here," Kovind said. He added that there are many ways to encourage people to go for organ or body donation.

"Let me give you two such examples. I was told that a medical college in Uttar Pradesh -- Motilal Nehru Medical College -- had announced that whoever takes a pledge to donate his body after death, would get a medical treatment for his entire life from the college," the president said. "Similarly, a Lucknow-based college, Ram Manohar Lohia Institute, had announced to give 25 per cent discount to the family members of those who would donate the body after death," he added.