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Hans India
7 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Telangana receives national award for highest organ donation rate
Hyderabad/New Delhi: Telangana has been honoured with a prestigious national award for achieving the highest organ donation rate in India. According to a senior official, in 2024, Telangana recorded an organ donation rate of 4.88 donors per million population (pmp), which significantly surpassed the national average of 0.8 pmp. The award was presented during a felicitation ceremony held in New Delhi as part of the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day celebrations, organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). The award was received by Dr G Mallikarjun and the Jeevandan Team on behalf of the Government of Telangana from the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda. The Jeevandan initiative, spearheaded by the Telangana government, has consistently set a benchmark in organ donation awareness, coordination, and successful transplantation, making the state a model for the rest of the country. Jeevandan, launched in 2012 by the Government of Telangana, is administered by the Cadaver Transplantation Advisory Committee (CTAC), chaired by the Special Chief Secretary of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, and the Appropriate Authority for Cadaver Transplantation (AACT), headed by the Director of Medical Education. The Director of Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) serves as Co-Chairman. Since its inception, the programme has facilitated organ and tissue donation from 1,673 deceased donors, resulting in the transplantation of 6,309 organs and tissues. This recognition places Telangana at the forefront of ethical and efficient organ donation and transplantation in India. It reflects years of commitment, collaboration, and public participation, especially from donor families who made the selfless decision to save lives. According to officials, the number of donors and organ donations has gradually increased year after year over the last ten years. In 2013, there were 41 donors who donated 189 organs, including kidneys, livers, hearts, corneas, heart valves, lungs, and pancreases. Similarly, there were 51 donors donating 233 organs in 2014, with over 500 donations in 2017. In the year 2023, there were 729 organ donations, which was the highest number during the last ten years.
United News of India
02-08-2025
- Health
- United News of India
Nadda sounds alarm on rising organ failures, calls for increased donation awareness
New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) Union Health Minister JP Nadda today expressed concern over the increasing cases of organ failures, calling it a serious public health challenge that is putting immense pressure on the healthcare system. 'Every year, thousands of patients await life-saving organ transplants. Despite this urgent need, a significant gap persists between those waiting for transplants and the number of available donors,' he said here at an event held to mark the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day. The event was organized by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the aegis of Directorate General of Health Services, Union Health Ministry. The Minister emphasized that this gap is not due to unwillingness but largely stems from lack of awareness and deep-rooted myths and misconceptions surrounding organ donation. 'Today is a crucial day that offers us a platform to raise awareness, promote open conversations, and honor the noble contributions of donors and their families,' he added. Nadda also urged society to overcome hesitation and misconceptions to strengthen organ donation efforts and save countless lives. Highlighting the strides made by India in the direction of organ donation, Nadda stated that India has achieved a remarkable milestone of performing over 18,900 organ transplants in 2024, the highest ever recorded in a single year. This is a significant leap from fewer than 5,000 transplants in 2013. India ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants, behind only the United States of America and China. Nadda also highlighted that 'India leads the world in hand transplants showcasing our cutting-edge surgical capabilities and the unwavering dedication of our medical professionals.' The Minister also addressed the issue of gap between requirement of organs and available donors and emphasized the need for greater awareness, more public dialogues, timely consent from families and robust system to support diseased donation. He stated, 'Each organ donor is a silent hero, someone whose selfless act transforms grief into hope and loss into lives. One person can save up to 8 lives by donating heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines. Additionally, countless more lives can be transformed through tissue donations.' Underlining the Government's efforts for organ transplantation, Nadda stated, 'to make organ transplant more accessible, financial support of up to Rs 15 lakh is provided to poor patients for transplantation of kidneys, liver, heart and lungs under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi. Poor patients are provided support of up to Rs 10,000 per month after transplant to cover the medical expenses. Kidney transplant package has also been included in Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).' Nadda emphasised, 'unhealthy lifestyle and food habits are among the major factors leading to organ failure. It is therefore necessary to take preventive measures and lifestyle interventions.' Urging all to adopt Yoga to promote overall wellbeing, he stated that 'Ayurveda and Yoga offer simple practices to strengthen our organs and boost immunity. We must adopt Yoga to promote overall wellbeing.' UNI AJ GNK
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
As India's kidney transplant gap widens, experts call for donor pool expansion
Every week, Imran Ali* travels over 30 kilometres to a dialysis centre, a routine that has kept him alive for nearly three years. Each session costs around ₹3,500, and when combined with medication and travel, his monthly medical expenses soar to ₹70,000–₹80,000. For Imran and his family, it's a relentless cycle of financial and emotional stress. 'We've sold land, borrowed from relatives, and still, I'm waiting for a transplant,' says Imran, who is currently at number 41,000 in a waiting list of over 2 lakh kidney transplant applicants in India. 'I was told not to expect a call anytime soon. I don't even know if I'll live long enough to move ahead in the list.' Imran's doctors have warned that he may not survive more than three months without a transplant. Imran's story is not unique. It reflects the reality of thousands of people across India suffering from end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), trapped in a system where need drastically outweighs availability. According to data from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), kidney transplants are among the most sought-after and performed procedures in India. Experts suggest that addressing India's growing burden of ESKD requires a two-pronged approach: tackling the root cause of rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and hypertension, and simultaneously addressing the critical shortage of organ donors. Growing need, limited response J. Amalorpavanathan ,founder-member secretary, Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu, observes that while the demand for kidney transplants has grown exponentially, the supply has not kept pace. 'Even countries like the United States and Spain, with well-established transplant programmes, are struggling. In India, the gap is much wider,' he says. As per estimates, between two to three lakh patients require a kidney transplant annually in India. Official data lists over 92,000 patients registered for transplants, but the real number is believed to exceed 2 lakh. Of the 13,600 transplants performed annually, just 1,851 involve deceased donors. The rest are from living donors, mostly close relatives. For those without a matching family donor, the chances become slim, and the waiting period, indefinite. Limesh M., consultant nephrologist and transplant physician at Narayana Health City, Bangaluru, explains, 'The risk of death for kidney transplant recipients is less than half that for those on long-term dialysis. It also dramatically improves quality of life.' Still, only 2.4% of patients with kidney failure in India undergo a transplant. The number of patients on waiting lists increases by 10% each year, but transplants grow at just 4%, say experts. The average wait time for a deceased donor kidney is between three and five years, and prolonged dialysis, which patients have to undergo while waiting, is not only a financial burdens but also reduces post-transplant survival and quality of life. Closing the gap: deceased and cardiac death donations One of the major ways to address this shortfall, according to Dr. Amalorpavanathan, is to improve the recognition and use of organs from brain-dead donors. He also stresses the need to include marginal donors, such as those aged between 60–70 who may have suffered a stroke. 'While these kidneys may not be ideal for younger patients, they can be life-saving for older recipients. Matching marginal donors with marginal recipients is a pragmatic step,' he says. Dr. Amalorpavanathan also emphasises the importance of initiating Donation After Cardiac Death (DCD) programmes in India. 'DCD is already practiced widely in countries like the U.K. and U.S.A. With proper systems in place, this could be a respectful and viable way of increasing organ availability,' he says. In DCD, organs are retrieved from patients who experience cardiac arrest in intensive care settings. Though medically complex, this method has been proven to extend donor pools significantly in other nations, he points out. The promise of kidney swaps When deceased donor kidneys are not available, living donors -- usually family members-- offer the next best option. However, India's legal restrictions on unrelated donors, meant to prevent commercial exploitation, often limit options for patients with incompatible relatives. Sunil Shroff, consultant urologist and transplant surgeon, cites the successful case of the first swap transplant in India the that led to NOTTO's decision to have a 'uniform one nation one swap transplant programme' . Dr. Shroff emphasis the potential of swap transplants (paired kidney exchanges). 'In March 2025, two incompatible donor-recipient pairs in Chhattisgarh were successfully matched through a swap programme,' he says. 'Both donors and recipients recovered well. If supported systematically, swap programmes could increase transplant numbers by 10 to 15 percent.' This approach is particularly useful for blood group or tissue match incompatibilities, where new drug therapies and plasma exchange can be costly, as Dr. Limish adds, 'With policy and institutional support, this model could be scaled nationally. Need to expand the donor pool Dr. Limesh stresses the urgent need to expand the donor pool. He suggests that increasing public awareness, encouraging families of brain-dead patients to consider donation, and using grief counselors to sensitively guide them can help bridge this gap. He highlights that transparency, empathy, and trust-building are essential, especially at the moment of loss. 'Ultimately, we need a combination of stronger public health measures to prevent kidney failure, improved policies that enable ethical donation, and sustained community education that fosters trust,' Dr. Limesh says. ' Policy, prevention, and awareness Solving India's transplant crisis also demands a multifaceted approach that addresses prevention, policy, and public awareness. A major step forward lies in strengthening public health systems to proactively manage and prevent conditions like diabetes and hypertension, which are leading causes of kidney failure. At the policy level, refining existing laws to encourage ethical and informed organ donations while safeguarding individuals from exploitation is crucial. Equally important is transforming public perception through sustained awareness campaigns that challenge cultural taboos and promote the importance of organ pledging. As Dr. Limish emphasises, 'Innovative approaches and continued public education are key to increasing the number of living and deceased donors. Only then can we offer a second chance to the growing number of Indians silently suffering from kidney failure.' (*Name changed to protect privacy)
