Seven years down the line and the first heart transplant recipient in India, Mr. Devi Ram, is hale and hearty. The transplant was performed at  All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi  by a team of surgeons  headed by  Dr. P. Venugopal, Cardio –thoracic surgeon  Mr. Devi Ram(47) who is a mechanic said that he was now able to undertake heavy work and that he felt just  fine. His dose of immunosuppressant has also been brought down. It was a moment for rejoicing at the 44^th Foundation day of AIIMS but it was also a moment to assess the state of the organ donation programme in the country. Only 13 heart transplants have been done at AIIMS, of which eight have survived. Commenting on the situation, the Union Minister for Health and family welfare, Dr. C. P Thakur called for a nationwide awareness campaign for organ donation. He said that there would be no dearth of organs to save precious lives if relatives of road accident victims, who   are brain dead, could be urged to donate. He added that in developed  countries, transplantation of organs such as kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart , lungs, and corneas are routine procedure .In India , however , one lakh patients  developed chronic  renal failure  every  year, but only 4000 kidney transplants done. Dr. Thakur urged the medical community to take it up as a challenge and clear all misconceptions from the mind of the public about organ donation and transplantation.