MUMBAI: State transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar on Monday announced that his department will create mass awareness at various RTOs from this week to encourage more driving licence applicants to opt for organ donation. Also, sources said the department will come out with new licence smartcards which will be without a chip, unlike the previous one, and have a QR code.
At present, the licence displays the blood group of the person. It also discloses ‘Organ Donor’ on licence smartcardswith a symbol of heart.
From October 4, RTO officials will hold an awareness campaign with NGO Project Mumbai which has roped in collegians and senior citizens to create outreach.
At present, less than 1% of driving licence holders in Mumbai have pledged their organs for donation. The option is voluntary, as during fresh licence application, one is asked to tick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for organ donation. Additionally, applicants for licence renewals can also use this option and more importantly, even existing driving licence holders can opt for this, an official said.
Every day, Mumbai sees almost 2,000 fresh driving licence applications. The applications are done online but for the driving test, the applicant has to come to the RTO office as a mandatory process. “Our officials will meet the licence applicants at this stage and try to create awareness on organ donation,” Bhimanwar said.
NGO Project Mumbai’s CEO and founder Shishir Joshi said his team of volunteers will interact with licence applicants arriving for driving tests at Andheri RTO on Wednesday morning and create awareness at Tardeo, Wadala and Borivali RTOs as well.
“We have embarked upon ‘Har Ghar Hai Donor’ initiative and the aim is to enlist families and not just individuals as donors. We are giving them certificates of ‘Asli Heroes’ (real heroes),” he said.
Since 2005, there have been 30 lakh deaths due to non-availability of organs. Every year, about 5 lakh people lose their lives due to non-availability, of which around 2 lakh are seeking liver transplant, 50,000 suffer from heart ailments and over a lakh have corneal illnesses and are awaiting transplant, Joshi said. A donor can donate up to 25 organs and tissues for transplant.
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