Odisha Honours 25 Organ Donor Families with Suraj Puraskar on World Organ Donation Day

Bhubaneswar: Odisha marked World Organ Donation Day on Wednesday with a heartfelt ceremony at Lok Seva Bhawan, paying tribute to the remarkable generosity of organ donors and their families.

At the event, 25 families of deceased donors were felicitated with the prestigious Suraj Puraskar and a cash award of ₹5 lakh each, recognizing their selfless decision to give others a second chance at life through organ donation.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, attending as chief guest, hailed organ donation as the “greatest act of humanity,” commending the courage and compassion of the families. “Their decision, made in the face of loss, has brought hope and life to those in urgent need of transplants,” he said.

Instituted in memory of late Suraj Behera, whose organs were donated by his parents to save another life, the Suraj Puraskar is conferred annually on August 13 to families of deceased donors and to institutions that champion organ donation. The award also includes state honors for donors during their last rites.

This year’s honourees hailed from diverse districts, including Jharsuguda, Nayagarh, Khordha, Kendrapara, Balasore, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Bhadrak, among others.

Odisha currently has 14 hospitals registered for organ transplantation, and officials expressed hope that such recognition would inspire more citizens to pledge their organs.

The ceremony saw participation from Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aswathy S., Director of Health Services Dr. Amarendra Swain, district collectors via virtual mode, senior Health Department officials, and relatives of the awardees. The program was coordinated by Deputy Secretary Aruna Tripathy.