Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today lauded the efforts of medical experts and institutions in saving lives. He stated this while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day event SAMAGAM-2025, organized by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), New Delhi in collaboration with the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO), J&K at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC).
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was the chief guest at the event, commended the organizers and acknowledged the exemplary work of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, and GMC Jammu in the field of kidney and corneal transplants. He urged these institutions to intensify their efforts towards initiating cadaveric organ donation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Emphasizing the need for wider awareness and acceptance of organ donation, the Chief Minister suggested that medical experts should collaborate with religious scholars and other stakeholders to foster informed discussions and reach a consensus on the subject. He assured full government support in strengthening these institutions to promote a healthier society.
He also highlighted the adverse effects of self-medication, lifestyle diseases, and lack of physical activity, urging people to adopt healthier habits. On the occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated ambassadors of organ and tissue donation from Kashmir, including the family of late Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, former Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at GMC Srinagar and a renowned eye surgeon.
His eyes were donated posthumously by fellow ophthalmologists Dr. Khurshid Ahmed and Dr. Seema Mian. Additionally, Ms. Heenu Mushtaq, a kidney transplant recipient leading a healthy life, was also felicitated. The event featured expert deliberations on various aspects of organ donation and transplantation besides presenting the present scenario of organ donation in India, evolution of cadaveric organ donation and transplantation, Islam and organ/tissue donation and cadaveric organ donation in J&K: way forward.
Director General of Health Services, Government of India, Dr. Atul Goel; Director of NOTTO, New Delhi, Dr. Anil Kumar; Director of SKIMS, Dr. Ashraf Ganai; Principal of GMC Srinagar, Dr. Iffat Hassan Shah; and Principal of GMC Jammu, Dr. Ashutosh Gupta were also present on the occasion.
Delegates from Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs) and State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs) from across the country participated in the event. These included representatives from ROTTO North, SOTTO J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, ROTTO East Kolkata, SOTTO Odisha, Bihar, ROTTO Guwahati, SOTTO Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim.