Organ donation on the rise owing to awareness, yet gaps need to be filled for encouragement, willingness

Tamil Nadu government's efforts to boost organ donations show positive results, but demand for organs remains high.

 Even when the innovative measures taken by the Tamil Nadu government to encourage organ donations have yielded positive results, the ever-growing demand for the organs, especially kidney and lungs, shows an existing gap in the efforts of the government.  

The State has witnessed a significant jump in cadaver organ donations as the number rose from 178 in 2023 to 268 in 2024, thanks to the government’s important announcement of extending State honours to the mortal remains of the organ donors.  

As per the G.O, Collectors would honour the mortal remains of the deceased donors and in case when the Collector was unable to attend the ceremony, senior revenue officials like District Revenue Officer (DRO), Additional Collector, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), tahsildar, would be paying honours.  

The practice, believed to encourage families of brain-dead victims to come forward for the noble cause of saving about five lives through a single transplant, has yielded more results than was expected.  

At the same time, former Dean of Thanjavur Government Medical College Hospital R. Balajinathan said the demand for organs could not be met as it would only increase owing to several accidents and rapid lifestyle changes. 

According to the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN), the total active waiting list for kidney is 7,285, liver is 522, heart is 82, dual lungs is 66, pancreas is 6 and small bowel is 5.  

Innovations and administrative slackness