Understanding Organ Donation in India: Everything You Need to Know

Did you know that a person after their death can give new life to up to 8 people by donating vital organs? According to NOTTO, in 2023, India reached a significant milestone by surpassing 1,000 deceased organ donors in a single year for the first time, breaking the record set in 2022. However, it is still not enough. The organ donation rate in India is less than 1 per million population. According to the data shown by Organ India, almost 5,00,000 people need an organ transplant every year. However, by the end of the year, the majority of them die due to the lack of availability of organs. 

Guide to Organ Donation in India 

While there are a number of factors for the lower participation, one of them is surely the lack of awareness about the same. Talking about the basics, one must be aware that the NOTTO, which stands for the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation, comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs and you can find all relevant information there!

Other than that, organ donation is of two types; namely living donation and deceased donation. Check out the details to understand the process further. 

The Living Donation Process

• The donor (living, in this case) needs to undergo some medical tests and evaluations to check and confirm their medical compatibility with the recipient.
• Only a doctor can confirm the living donor’s medical compatibility after all the results confirm that the donor is compatible with the recipient. Moreover, the transplantation can also take place after that.
• The organs of the donors are retrieved surgically by doctors. As part of the process, the organs are then stored in special chemical solutions for a short duration until they are transplanted into the recipient.
• The living donor remains under medical care for a few days or weeks even after organ retrieval until they are deemed fit to go home.                                                                

The Deceased Donation Process

• A deceased donor is considered to be someone who has suffered a fatal injury to the head or had a Brain Haemorrhage. They are declared brain stem dead by a group of medical experts in a hospital.
• The family of the donor has to give consent for the donation before the process of organ retrieval. 
• The donor is kept on life-support while the doctors look after all their needs until the retrieval of the organs is allowed.
• The recipients of all the organs are identified from a waiting list. The officers in charge notify and send to the hospitals. 
• After the retrieval of the organs, the donor is handed over to the family. 

Some important legal frameworks and eligibility criteria:

• Organ donation is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act of 1994. It allows everyone above 18 years of age to donate organs, regardless of age, caste, religion, or community.
• Living donors can donate one of their kidneys, a portion of the pancreas, and part of the liver. 
• Deceased donors can donate kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestine. 
• As Brainstem death is recognised as a form of death in India, it allows for organ donation. After natural cardiac death, organs like corneas, bones, skin, and blood vessels can be donated whereas in the cases of brainstem death, approximately 37 different organs and tissues can be donated, including the mentioned organs.
• One can initiate the process by completing the online pledge form by Organ India and receiving a donor card with a unique government registration number from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation. 
• It is an important procedure as all pledges made are registered with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), ensuring that your intent to donate is officially recorded.
• While registering as an organ donor, it is important to discuss your wish to donate with your family. In India, the next of kin holds the right to decide on organ donation after the person who might have pledged their organs passes away.