New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said on Monday that the country has made significant strides in organ transplantation, with the number of transplants increasing from 4,990 in 2013 to over 20,000 in 2025, the highest ever recorded in a single year.
Speaking at an event organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) to mark the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD), the Minister of State said India now ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants, after the US and China.
She highlighted that deceased donor transplants have increased from 837 in 2013 to more than 3,500 in 2025, while acknowledging that a substantial gap still exists between the demand for organs and their availability. She emphasised that addressing this gap remains a national priority.
The Minister of State called for strengthening the organ donation movement but observed that misconceptions surrounding organ donation continue to be a major challenge.
She stressed that no major religion prohibits organ donation; rather, all faiths uphold the values of compassion, service and saving lives, making organ donation a noble humanitarian act.
Referring to the initiatives launched on the occasion, she said that the National Brain Stem Death Certification Guidelines and the National Guidelines on Swap Transplantation would help standardise practices and strengthen policy implementation across the country.
Patel also highlighted the launch of the ‘Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan’, a year-long nationwide awareness campaign aimed at taking the message of organ donation to every community and reinforcing that organ donation is the greatest gift of life, allowing the legacy of donors to live on through recipients.
Highlighting the government’s continued support under the National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP), she said that financial assistance is being provided to States for strengthening infrastructure, donor maintenance, organ retrieval and transportation.
Patel further noted that under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), kidney transplantation has been included in the Health Benefit Package, while financial assistance for economically weaker patients is also available under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi.
She stated that the government has established a robust institutional network comprising NOTTO, five Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs), 26 State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTOs) and around 1,200 registered hospitals.
(IANS)
