Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
EVERY DRIVING LICENSE APPLICANT TO SIGN PLEDGE
Chandigarh July 5: Punjab today launched a state-wide novel campaign to motivate people in general and vehicle drivers in particular to pledge their eyes and other body parts to benefit lakhs of visually impaired people of the country and other patients in dire need of transplantation of various body parts.
Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Punjab said that Lakhs of people in our country suffer from corneal blindness every year and voluntary eye donation would enable these visually impaired people to get vision if enough corneas are available for transplantation. She said that the biggest area of concern in this regard is finding donors as there is not much awareness about organ/eye donation in general population. She said that this can be taken care of to a large extent by asking applicants of Driving Licenses to pledge their eyesight the time of application. Giving the background she said that this was already being done by Transport Department, Tamil Nadu Government. She informed that every aspirant for a driver’s license gets a form for Eye Donation along with the application form for Driving License. In Tamil Nadu based on the choice of applicant, his donor status is mentioned on the form and in case of accidental death/natural death; his/her eyes can be donated to a needy patient. She informed that on request of the Department of Health & Family Welfare, State Transport Commissioner, Punjab and Mr. Tikshan Sood Political Advisor to CM-Punjab has issued a circular to all Districts. Transport Minister Mr. Ajit Singh Kohar has also issued required guidelines in this regard to all the district level Transport officers.
Transport Officers to initiate the process of getting a Proforma for pledging organs/eye donation filled from applicants for Driving Licenses for making it a mass movement. She further said that an on-line Performa for organ/eye donation is available on our Website-www.pbhealth.gov.in. Anyone pledging organs/eyes gets a hard copy of donor card by post. The same Proforma will be given to the applicant of Driving License as a hard copy at the time of application. The name and location of nearest eye bank is available by calling toll free No-104. This will go a long way in encouraging organ/eye donation in the state of Punjab.
