Donate Life Receives "Supporting NGO" Award for Organ Donation
Minister Anupriya Patel Honors Donate Life for Outstanding Contributions in Gujarat
Surat. The "Supporting NGO" award was bestowed upon the Donate Life organization by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in recognition of its outstanding contribution to organ donation. Donate Life is dedicated to giving new life to patients suffering from organ failure.
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) presented this award in New Delhi on Indian Organ Donation Day to honor those who have facilitated organ donations from individuals declared brain dead in Gujarat over the past twenty years. The award was accepted by Donate Life's founder and chairman, Nilesh Mandlewala, along with joint honorary minister Hitendra Modi, CEO and trustee Nirav Mandlewala, and trustees Hemant Desai and Mitesh Shah.
Since its inception in 2005 by Nilesh Mandlewala, Donate Life has revolutionized organ donation in Gujarat. Initially, there were no organ recovery centers in the state; today, there are 100. In 2005, kidney transplants were performed only in a few hospitals, but now 28 hospitals in Gujarat conduct transplants of kidneys, livers, pancreases, hearts, lungs, and uteruses.
Until May 2017, civil hospitals in Gujarat did not perform organ donations. In June 2017, Donate Life initiated the first organ donation at Surat Civil Hospital. By 2020, Surat had developed facilities for kidney, liver, and heart transplants, benefiting many organ failure patients in Surat and South Gujarat.
Donate Life has brought pride to Surat and Gujarat with its numerous achievements in organ donation. These milestones reflect the significant progress in organ donation and transplantation within the state. From Surat and South Gujarat, Donate Life has facilitated the donation of 1,242 organs and tissues, including 506 kidneys, 221 livers, 52 hearts, 48 lungs, 9 pancreases, 4 hands, 1 small intestine, and 401 eyes. This effort has successfully given new life and vision to 1,142 individuals in India and abroad.
