THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : As many as 3,394 patients in the state are awaiting suitable organs for transplantation under the deceased donor programme, according to the data presented by Health Minister Veena George in the assembly on Monday.
While 2,400 patients have registered for kidney transplant, 899 wait for liver transplant, 75 for heart, six for lungs, 12 for pancreas and two for small intestine. The data presents a worrying picture as the number of patients awaiting organs increases while that of donors has been on the decline over the years.
In the past five months, the number of patients seeking a kidney transplant increased from 2,158 to 2,400 while those in need of liver transplant rose from 720 to 899. There were just 11 donors in 2023, donating a total of 40 organs. In comparison, there were 76 donors, donating 218 organs in 2015. So far, 1,063 patients have benefitted from the deceased donor programme launched in 2012.
The deceased donor programme is managed by the government through Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (K-SOTTO). However, the programme has been affected by frivolous litigation, leaving hundreds of impoverished patients in dire straits. “Allegations surrounding organ donations have caused a significant drop in the number of donations. Besides, the doctors empanelled by K-SOTTO are refusing to certify brain death for fear of litigation,” said a health expert.
Deceased donor programme has faltered: Expert
“While wealthy patients continue to secure organ transplants through live donors, often from within or outside the state, the deceased donor programme meant to aid the less fortunate has faltered,” the expert added.
In 2021, there were 55 organ transplantations from 14 brain-dead donors, compared to 1,086 kidney transplantations and 335 liver transplantations from live donors.
Of the 8,124 kidney donations from live donors since 2011, 5,648 were from unrelated donors. In the case of liver, it was 96 out of 1,716 donations.