JAIPUR: After Rajasthan transport department has become first in the country to make it mandatory for driving licence applicants to declare their willingness or unwillingness for organ declaration, nearly 2 lakh applicants have agreed to cadaveric organ donation between September 2020 and June 2021.
In 2018, state transport department incorporated a new category — asking applicants if they are an organ donor — in online applications for driving licence renewal as well as for issuance of fresh ones. The applicants, however, would choose the ‘skip’ option due to which it was replaced with ‘response’ in yes or no, in August last year.
Transport department commissioner Mahendra Soni said, “Rajasthan was the first state which had the organ donation provision for learners’ licence as well. When an applicant fills the online form for driving licence, they have to choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for organ donation without which the application will not be submitted in the software. In 10 months, the persons agreeing to organ donation has increased from 3% to 30%. Awareness campaigns regarding the same will be also done in the coming days.”
According to the department, a total of 1,90,398 persons who applied for driving licence have give their consent for organ donation. The desert state was also the first to issue driving licence bearing the ‘organ donor’ logo. Officials claimed that this initiative makes it simpler for authorities in case of an accident or if the individual is declared brain dead to retrieve his/her organs and donated to patients requiring a transplant.
For those who have licences issued prior to this feature can also become organ donors when they go for renewal of licences or for updation of details on the document. Every year, the department issues about 10-11 lakh driving licences, while Rajasthan witnesses about 5% of the total accidents that happen in the country.
