Mumbai, August 7, 2013: The state government has decided to rope in religious leaders to encourage organ donations. 

On Tuesday, a meeting of representatives of different religions was held at the Sahyadri Guest House in this regard. Senior health department officials were also attended the meet. It is learnt that the suggestion to involve religious leaders was given by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s wife Satvasheela. 

“The initiative to bring all religions on one platform is one- of-its-kind in India. When spiritual leaders voice their opinions, the message resounds in lakhs of persons. They are in a unique position to bust myths related to organ donation and drive more persons towards pledging their organs,” said a senior health department official.

Doctors of the Zonal Transplant Co-ordination Centre (ZTCC) will hold a series of meetings with religious and spiritual heads in Churches, Gurudwaras and Jain temples to make them aware of technicalities involved in organ donation. “The religious leaders in turn will spread the message in their sermons and pravachans to the masses. This will provide a huge fillip to persons willing to donate,” said Dr Ashok Kripalani, president, Indian Society of Organ Transplantation.

“We will get up to 300 priests from all dioceses and churches in Mumbai to attend the training programme by ZTCC. Spread of awareness will be taken up at Sunday masses. 

Up to 20,000 persons attend mass in Mira road itself. The message will spread manifold this way,” said Father Dominic Vaz, parish priest in Mira Road.

Similarly, Godrej Dotivala of Bombay Parsi Panchayat advocated that humanity is service to God as indicated in Zoroastrian philosophy and that the Parsi Panchayat will spread the word vociferously to the Parsi community.

Gurus from 51 Gurudwaras of the Sikh community will be taken under the fold of the ZTCC for spreading the word of donating organs. “Sikhs have a huge potential to donate. Guru Granth Sahib preaches that saving someone’s life is the biggest virtue of all. It’s just that devotees will have to be made aware of the ways and means to donate organs,” said Bhai Ranjit Singh of Gurudwara Dasmer Durbar in Sion Koliwada.

Jain priests have always advocated organ donation. “Jainism believes in not hurting or killing any living being, be it a tree or an insect. We propagate donation of kidneys, eyes, liver, skin and other organs if need be to save human life,” said Naypadmasagarji Maharaj Saheb.

Source: DNA, August 7, 2013