Organ donations increase by 11.4 percent in the last one year

CHENNAI: Health minister Ma Subramanian paid tribute to a 27-year-old road accident victim from Saidapet who donated his organs.

The minister said that there is an increase of 11.4 percent in organ donation when compared to 2022. However, the waitlist of people awaiting various organs for transplants also remains high.

Until Saturday, 11 families have donated the organs of brain dead people. The organ donors were honoured with State honours, as per the Chief Minister's announcement regarding the same in September 2023. The 27-year-old man met with an accident in Anna Salai four days ago and was taken to the Government Royapettah Hospital for treatment. Despite the treatment in the hospital, he did respond well due to a head injury and he was declared brain dead on Friday.

He said that 61 people have voluntarily donated the organs of their family member after they were declared brain dead in 2023. "The number of organ donors in the State was 178 in 2023, which is the highest number of organ donors in the past few years. The announcement of State honours has a major role to play towards the same, " he said.

Meanwhile, the minister said that the waitlist is also high. As many as 6,322, people require kidney, liver is required for 438 patients, 76 heart patients require heart donor, 64 people require lungs, 25 people are waiting for heart and lungs both. As many as 27 people are waiting for hands transplant and many others are in the waitlist for minor organs. A total of 7,031 people are waiting for organ donation.