3 days ago
Docs urge deeper outreach to boost organ donations
Madurai: Marking
World Organ Donation Day
, doctors at Meenakshi Mission Hospital in Madurai on Tuesday called for stronger public awareness to meet rising transplant needs, despite
Tamil Nadu
leading the country in organ donations.
India's
organ donation
rate, the number of deceased donors per million population annually, remains low, doctors noted. Tamil Nadu pioneered the country's first organised deceased donation programme and, in 2024 alone, recorded 268 deceased donors, the highest in India.
"While awareness campaigns exist, they must penetrate rural and semi-urban areas where misconceptions still persist," said Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran of the department of medical & surgical gastroenterology.
Explaining ABO-incompatible transplantation, where donor and recipient blood groups differ, doctors said advanced protocols can overcome natural immune barriers in such cases.
"Organ donation is a life-saving act, but lack of understanding about brain death, cultural beliefs, religious misconceptions, and emotional hesitation often hinder decision-making," said Dr K Sampath Kumar, head of nephrology. "A societal shift, backed by strong policies and sustained education, is key to bridging the gap between need and availability."
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