NEW DELHI: There is a huge gap between the demand and availability of human organs and tissues in the country, the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation (ORBO) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences said on Wednesday.
“In our country, around 1.5 to 2 lakh patients require kidney transplantation, but only 7,800-8,000 patients receive it. Around 75,000-80,000 require liver transplants annually, but only around 1,800 are performed. Similarly, 1 lakh patients are in need of corneal transplantation, but only 50,000 undergo a corneal transplant,” the ORBO stated. More than 10,000 people require a heart transplant, but only 150 transplants are performed annually, it said on Wednesday during a ceremony to pay tribute to organ donors.
Dr Aarti Vij, professor and in charge of ORBO, said there were a lot of hurdles to organ donation, such as non-acceptance of brain stem death, and religious beliefs.