Bangalore: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde has stressed the importance of organ donation for development of medical science and to help another person get a new lease of life.

Speaking at the inauguration of two schemes to help renal failure patients on the occasion of World Kidney Day at the Manipal Hospital here on Thursday, Mr. Hegde said: "Students have to be made aware of the significance of organ donation."

He asked: "What use is our body to us after we die? Why not make good use of it so that others can benefit?"

Mr. Hegde said that religious practices should not come in the way of organ donation as long as it was being done for the benefit of medical science and research or to increase a person's life span.

On the occasion of World Kidney Day, the Prema Devi Malimath Memorial Free Dialysis Scheme to help poor renal failure patients have access to dialysis, was launched.

V.S. Malimath, former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts, presented a cheque for Rs. 1 lakh for the scheme in the memory of his wife, Prema.

Another scheme called "Sponsor A Dialysis Patient Scheme," which aims at involving the corporate sector and affluent class in free delivery of critical kidney treatment to the poor on a monthly/yearly/lifetime basis depending on the funds available, was also launched.

H.S. Ballal, director of the Manipal Institute of Nephrology and Urology, and said there was a need to spread awareness on prevention of kidney disease as in India, 600 people died of renal failure every day. Manipal Hospital Chief Executive Officer R. Basil was present.

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