People need to donate organs to help the noble cause of saving precious lives urged Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday.

Speaking at the inaugural of the 6th World and first ever Organ Donation Day and Organ Donation Congress 2010 in New Delhi, Azad pointed out that hosting of this day in India has a dual significance.

It re-affirms our commitment that altruism should be the sole motivator for organ donation and it also helps focus attention on the untapped potential of organ donation in the country," said Azad.

The Health Minister further said that a National Programme for Promotion of Organ Transplantation has been initiated with the objectives to improve organ availability by promoting deceased organ donation, organize a country-wide system of organ procurement and distribution for transplantation, establish new transplant facilities, strengthen existing units and to train required manpower.

The Health Minister said plans are also afoot to include the willingness for organ donation in the driving license and a nationwide organ donation card and registry would also be launched. A Pledge card for organ donation has also been made.

Azad also asked the experts to dwell upon means to reduce the cost factor of organ transplantation as a treatment protocol so that more patients are able to derive benefits from such techniques.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Health and Family welfare, Dinesh Trivedi called for spreading knowledge about importance of organ donation and preventing commercial trading and exploitation of the poor in the name of the noble cause.

Mrs Lalitha Raghuram, Country Director, Mohan foundation talked about the importance of transplant coordinators in the deceased organ donation programme on 27-11-2010.

Dr Sunil Shroff, Founder and Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation spoke about the scenario of organ donation the south.

The Meeting had the faculties from neighboring countries and also from Australia, Germany and South Africa.