THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The organ donation-pledge campaign of the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO) gained momentum during the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram. The stall set up at the main venue received over 500 pledges, exceeding the expectations of organisers.
Many celebrities and bloggers pledged their organs after death and spread the message through their social media handles. The campaign has helped the state to improve its national ranking, to 12th position, in terms of number of donor pledges.
“The campaign received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public, which indicates that there is minimal social resistance to cadaveric organ donation. The younger generation, particularly those between 25 and 40 years of age, have been especially receptive to the message,” said Dr Noble Gracious, executive director of K-SOTTO. He added that the real impact of these pledges would be seen if hospitals begin declaring brain death cases, noting that this year has been particularly difficult for the state with only 10 cadaver donations, the lowest in a decade.
Dr Noble said that people who are aware of the importance of organ donation and the best practices were more willing to take the pledge at the IFFK venue. Those in the 30-40 age group were most open to pledging, while those over 40 tended to be more sceptical. People in the 20-25 age group, on the other hand, showed lack of awareness about the process.
“Some individuals were concerned that taking the pledge would force them to part with their organs. We even observed wives discouraging their husbands from pledging due to misunderstandings,” a K-SOTTO staff member said.
Kerala now has 3,838 people who have pledged to donate their organs post mortem, with Thiruvananthapuram leading the way with 858 pledges, followed by Ernakulam (391), Kollam (379), Kozhikode (325), and Alappuzha (297). These numbers are expected to rise with several upcoming initiatives. In February, St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, during its centenary celebrations, will hold a mass pledge event involving both students and staff. K-SOTTO has already conducted awareness sessions and brain death-sensitisation programmes for the college’s representatives.
K-SOTTO will also participate in the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode in January. Currently, there are 2,435 patients on the waiting list for cadaveric organ donations. In the past decade, nearly 2,000 people have died awaiting suitable organs.