Organ Transplants See Four-Fold Increase In 12 Years, But Lack Of Awareness A Challenge
According to the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, number of organ donors were less than 5000 in 2013, but jumped to 20000 in 2025.
Published : February 25, 2026 at 4:20 PM IST
Hyderabad: Organ transplants in India have witnessed a four-fold jump in the last 12 years with a top doctor stressing on awareness to encourage people to donate organs.
According to a report released by the Union Ministry of Health Family Welfare on Monday, the number of organ donors in 2013 was less than 5,000 which increased four times to 20,000 in 2025. Last year, 1,200 families across the country came forward to donate the organs of their loved ones and brighten the lives of others, the report said.
Telangana ranks second among the states with the highest number of organ donors which is higher than the national average.
Dr Sribhushan Raju from the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad who also happens to be the Nodal Officer of 'Jeevandan', the cadaver tranplant program of the Telangana government said that although they have a lot of organ donations, awareness among the people should be increased.
"Many are waiting for donors. Due to various reasons, the family members of brain dead people do not easily accept organ donation. They should be made aware of the benefits of organ donation. Organ transplantation cases should increase in government hospitals," he said.
Shravan Kumar, National President of Sadasaa Charitable Organization said that while many NGOs were facilitating organ donation, donors were not getting "due respect" from the government. He suggested that funerals of the donors should be held with government honors after organ donation.
"The family members of donors should be honored by presenting a certificate of appreciation from the Collector, as in the states of Kerala and AP," he said.
Recently, the family of a 10-month-old baby girl from Kerala donated her organs after she was declared brain dead by doctors.
The child, who lived briefly, gave a new lease of life to four other people with her organs. The Kerala government's funeral with official honors for the child attracted the attention of everyone across the country.
In Telangana also, the Health and Medical Department has issued orders to respect organ donors in a proper manner to encourage others to come forward for the noble cause.
People can log on to the Jeevandan website of the Telangana government to register for organ donation. According to data, an estimated 4 lakh people registered to donate organs with the National Organ and Tissue Transplantation (NOTTO) last year.
Read More:
