Two families from Odisha get Suraj Award

BHUBANESWAR: On the occasion of World Organ Donation Day, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday conferred Suraj Award on two families from Ganjam district for the year 2022 for donating organs of their kin to save lives of needy patients.
They were the family members of Sushil Sahu from Aladi village under Jagannath Prasad block and Siddhi Samrudhi of Nilachal Nagar in Gopalpur locality.Pinki Sahu, wife of deceased Sushil, and Sapan Kumar Bindhani, father of Siddhi, got Rs 5 lakh each.
In 2019, the Odisha government had decided to institute an annual award in the name of Suraj Behera of Lalsingh near Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district to felicitate organ donors from the state and institutions that facilitate organ donation.
The parents of Suraj (22) had donated the organs of their elder son after the doctors declared him brain dead on November 2, 2019 in Surat in Gujarat. This award is given from 2020 onwards. It was the third edition of Suraj Award, said the official sources.
“The society is indebted to the parents of Suraj. Organ donation has created hope for many family members. It is a pious work to save the lives of others. Organ donation is a brave and courageous decision,” said the chief minister.