GUNTUR: There is a significant improvement in the number of organ transplants in women in the country, from 4:1 in between 1995 and 2021, to 2.36:1 in 2022. According to the government data, out of a total 36,640 organ transplants done from deceased and living donors between 1995 and 2021, as many as 29,695 were transplanted in males and 6,945 were in females. However, with a total 16,041 organ transplants, including 11,273 performed on males and 4,768 on females, the ratio improved to 2.36:1 in 2022.
To narrow down the trend of gender disparity in organ transplants, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been conducting regular awareness programmes on various ethical aspects of organ donation and transplantation for different stakeholders, namely State government representatives, legal representatives, police personnel, non-governmental organisations, healthcare professionals of institutions, and hospitals, said Minister of State for Health Satya Pal Singh Baghel in a written reply to a question in the Parliament.
Meanwhile, a study published in the Experimental and Clinical Transplantation Journal in 2021, delved into the intricacies of living organ transplantation in India. According to it, there is a skewed disparity between male and female living donors, with a ratio of 37:63, this disparity has been previously shown to be greater among living donors than deceased donors. It also noted that, in India, most deceased donors were males (76%), but living donors were mostly females (63%).
This substantial difference is attributed to a complex interplay of economic responsibilities, societal pressures, and deeply ingrained preferences, opined Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) director and AP Organ Donation Nodal Officer Dr Rambabu.
Speaking to TNIE, he opined that when brain-dead patients are women, husbands, the legal guardians mostly fail to make the quick decision for organ donation due to various reasons. However, the disparity between men and women recipients is unintentional, as the whole process is system-managed. The recipient of the organ will be decided based on the order of registration.
In Andhra Pradesh, through AP Jeevandan app, a total of 3,251, including 781 cadaver and 2,470 live organ transplants, were done from 2015 to 2023. Explaining the process of selecting the recipient for organ transplantation, Dr Rambabu said after receiving the details of the brain-dead patient, we upload them in the app, and the software gives a list of over 20 suitable patients registered, who are eligible based on the age, blood type, size of the organ, and other factors.
