India's Kidney Transplant Gap Widens: 61,668 Wait for Organs

A parliamentary committee has highlighted a significant disparity in India between the demand for kidney transplants and the availability of donor organs. As of February 9, 61,668 patients were on the waiting list, a figure nearly five times the number of transplants conducted. The committee urged the expansion of kidney transplant facilities to government medical colleges across states and Union Territories.

Recommendations include setting time-bound targets to increase organ retrieval centers and transplant infrastructure, focusing on underserved and hilly regions. In 2024, India recorded 11,558 living-donor and 1,918 deceased-donor kidney transplants, but the waiting list continues to grow.

Transplant activity remains heavily concentrated in states like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka, leading to unequal access for patients nationwide. Low deceased-organ donation rates stem from social misconceptions, insufficient awareness, limited retrieval infrastructure, and procedural bottlenecks. The committee has called for a national behavioral-change campaign and improved hospital-based coordination systems.

Data from 2019-2023 indicates women are the primary living organ donors (63.8%), while men are the majority of recipients (69.8%). A study is requested to investigate potential socioeconomic, cultural, financial, or gender-related barriers contributing to this disparity.