8-year-old Indian boy, whose organs were donated after death, cremated with state honours

An eight-year-old Indian boy named Subhajit Sahu, whose organs were donated following his death, was cremated with full state honours on Monday (March 4).

Subhajit, a second-grade student, experienced a brain seizure while taking a test at his school. Despite immediate medical attention and efforts to save him, Subhajit slipped into a coma and eventually died on Saturday (March 4).In the face of this devastating loss, Subhajit's family made thedecision to donate all of his organs, including kidneys, lungs, liver, eyes, heart, and pancreas.

“I am proud of my son. He died but saved the lives of many. I work in the healthcare sector. So, I know how scarce human organs are. People die waiting for donors. So, we took the decision to donate his organs,” Subhajit’s father Biswajit Sahu told PTI.

State honours after organ donation

The decision to bestow full state honours upon Subhajit aligns with the recent policy announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, which ensures that organ donors receive dignified last rites. This policy aims to raise awareness about organ donation and honour individuals who contribute to this life-saving cause.

Police Commissioner Panda told PTI, “We hope more people will come forward to donate organs through this initiative."

Full State honours entail that the State Government manages all aspects of the ceremony, which includes wrapping the body in the national flag and conducting a 21-gun salute. Additionally, the government provides financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh (over 6k USD) from the Chief Minister’s fund to the relatives of organ donors.

To streamline the organ donation process, the government established a 'State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation' in 2019. Furthermore, in 2020, the government introduced the Suraj Award to recognise and honour organ donors.

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(With inputs from agencies)