While the state leads with 22,335 pledges in country, the most populated Mumbai city has just 261
MAHARASHTRA recorded the highest number of organ donation pledges through the newly implemented digital pledge system on the central National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) portal, with an impressive 28 per cent of the total pledges made through QR codes.
Based on the Union Ministry of Health and Family data as of October 8, a total of 79,060 pledges were reported across the country, of which Maharashtra led with 22,335 pledges, followed by Madhya Pradesh (18,289), Telangana (11,053), Karnataka (6,752) and Andhra Pradesh (4,055).
Given the ever-increasing demand for organs to save lives, the central government launched the online organ pledging system on September 13. The system utilises a QR code linked to the NOTTO website, allowing citizens to effortlessly commit to organ donation. These pledges will be associated with either the Aadhaar card number or the Ayushman Bharat Health account for streamlined record-keeping.
“This initiative encourages people to become organ donors… individuals can register their decision to donate their organs on their death. It is entirely optional,” said an officer from NOTTO.
“Effectively harnessing just five to 10 per cent of all cases of brain death for organ donation could potentially eliminate the necessity for living donors,” added the officer.
A single cadaver donor can rescue as many as eight lives. Two patients will benefit from kidney donation, while a liver can be divided to benefit two others. The contribution of two lungs can save two patients, while a pancreas and heart donation can save two lives.
Individuals who have pledged their organs from the state account for the donation of 16,522 hearts, 13,176 intestines, 16,968 kidneys, 15,997 livers, 14,261 lungs and 13,364 pancreases. “This data indicates a strong willingness among people to donate their organs. To further promote organ transplantation, it is crucial to prioritise conducting transplants in public hospitals rather than solely relying on private healthcare facilities,” said Dr Bharat Shah, secretary of Zonal Transplantation Coordination Centre (ZTCC), the organisation responsible for coordinating organ transplantation in Mumbai.
In Maharashtra, while the semi-urban and rural districts that have made the highest number of pledges, while Mumbai city — the most populated city in India — is significantly trailing behind with just 261 pledges. Mumbai suburban has reported 145 — the lowest among the 36 districts.
Districts such as Nanded (644), Sindhudurg (1,070), Wardha (675) and Sangli (671) have recorded more pledges than bigger cities like Mumbai and Nagpur (233).
This is at a time when over 4,000 individuals are waiting for organ donation in Mumbai, where, going by past records, around 200 may secure donors by year-end. As The Indian Express reported earlier, of the individuals on waiting list, 3,408 are waiting for kidney transplant, 530 for liver, 61 for heart, 26 for lungs, 14 for pancreas, two for small intestines and five for hand transplants, as per the data provided by ZTCC.
Attributing it to the lack of awareness, an official from the Directorate of Health Service (DHS) said, “We have plans to put posts with the details of the portal at public places like bus stop, markets and railway stations. With this, we believe that the registration from Mumbai will improve. We will also sensitise college students about it.”
Women have emerged as the leaders in organ donation, with a staggering 13,449 women pledging to donate their organs and tissues. Among men, around 8,883 have pledged their organs.
Data shared by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharti Pravin Pawar in the Rajya Sabha in March revealed that in India, 49,745 people are awaiting organ replacements. In 2022, 15,561 organ transplants took place, with 4,49,760 registered donors.
Source : The Indian Express
