Secunderabad: In a powerful gesture of service and solidarity, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi and Sunita Dwivedi, President of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), pledged to donate their organs at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi, on Thursday. Their commitment marks a major milestone in the Armed Forces Organ Retrieval & Transplantation Authority (AORTA) initiative, aimed at galvanizing organ donation awareness across the military community.

Led by Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), AORTA has emerged as a national leader in organ retrieval and transplantation. The Indian Army has already set a remarkable precedent, with over 26,000 personnel pledging organ donation in a single campaign.

Speaking at the event, General Dwivedi called organ donation “a service to humanity” and “an extension of the Armed Forces’ spirit of sacrifice and courage.” He urged all service members and their families to embrace this life-saving cause and lead by example.

In a heartfelt recognition of healthcare workers, the COAS presented on-the-spot Chief’s Recommendation Cards to three frontline staff involved in transplant care—including a housekeeper whose dedication to hygiene and patient welfare was specially acknowledged. The gesture underscored the Army Medical Corps’ ethos of compassionate care.

The ceremony also paid tribute to donor families who gave the gift of life through organ donation. These families were honored in a solemn and moving tribute, celebrating their courage and generosity.

With the leadership of AORTA and the symbolic pledge by the Army’s top brass, the Armed Forces continue to inspire a national movement—turning valor into vitality, and sacrifice into life.