Kerala to follow Tamil Nadu model in honouring organ donors’ families

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry credited the state’s practice of according state honours to brain-dead donors as a key factor in strengthening the programme.

A family member is overcome with emotion, breaking down in tears in front of Health Minister Veena George during the "Smrithi Vandanam" ceremony held in Thiruvananthapuram to commemorate deceased organ donors and honor their families. Photo | Vincent Pulickal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a cue from Tamil Nadu's model of honouring families who consent to donate the organs of brain-dead patients, Kerala will soon adopt a similar practice. As per the proposal, a senior official-preferably the district collector-will visit the bereaved family during the funeral and pay homage on behalf of the state government. Health Minister Veena George said a government order will be issued shortly. There is also a plan to set up a monument for all brain-dead donors, similar to a martyr's column. "The proposal was presented in the cabinet meeting on August 13 but was not considered at the time. It will be taken up again by the minister," said a source.

Tamil Nadu was recently honoured by the Union Government with a national award for recording 268 cadaveric organ donations in 2024. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare credited the state's practice of according state honours to brain-dead donors as a key factor in strengthening its deceased donor transplant programme.

In contrast, Kerala-once a pioneer in this field-recorded just 10 cadaveric donations during the same year. This is despite road accidents claiming around 4,000 lives annually. The number of brain-death declarations in hospitals has also fallen sharply.

Advik, 5, son of the late Bileesh whose organs were donated, with Health Minister Veena George

Alarmed by the decline, the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization (K-SOTTO) organised a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram to felicitate the families of 122 donors on Wednesday. Praising them, the health minister said, "I consider the decision taken in extreme grief after losing loved ones in an unexpected tragedy to be one of the greatest acts in the world. There are various challenges in organ donation. Many doctors hesitate to certify brain death due to court cases, though courts have extended strong support to promoting organ donation. Posthumous donation needs to increase in society more than living donation. If one person can give life to more than eight people after brain death, there is no greater virtue than that."

The minister also announced that the government is working to make medicines for organ transplant recipients available at reduced prices through Karunya Sparsham Zero Profit Counters. Launched in 2024 to supply cancer medicines at the lowest possible cost, the scheme will now be expanded to benefit transplant patients.

Cadaver organ donations so far: 389

Patients benefitted: 1,120

Patients currently awaiting organs: 2,801