Mumbai: More than 30% increase in organ donations

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on organ donation has been significant. In 2020, there was a dramatic decrease in organ donations, plummeting from the 76 recorded in 2019 to just 30 transplantations. Nevertheless, the resilience of this noble practice is evident, as it has made a remarkable comeback. In 2021, there were 31 organ donations.

Experts stress the need for increased organ donation awareness in India. Despite being the second-largest nation for organ donors, this ranking is predominantly due to living donors, with India not even ranking in the top 20 for deceased donors.

“In our efforts to promote cadaver donations, we have partnered with intensivists and neurologists to identify brain-dead patients. We are also engaging in conversations with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences to incorporate organ donation into its educational curricula,” said ZTCC General Secretary Dr Bharat Shah.

More than 4,000 individuals in Mumbai are in need of organ donations, and historical data suggests that around 200 of them may find donors by the year’s end.

Experts indicate that a single donor has the potential to save up to 50 lives. Dr Vijay Surase, a consultant interventional cardiologist at Jupiter Hospital, emphasizes the importance of raising awareness among patients visiting civic-run hospitals to further increase life-saving donations.