Home / Health / Kidney Transplant Wait: 8 Years and Counting
Kidney Transplant Wait: 8 Years and Counting
23 Oct
Summary
- Six thousand patients wait for kidney transplants outside family donors.
- Average wait time for a kidney transplant may extend up to eight years.
- PGIMER is the only government hospital performing transplants in Chandigarh.
Currently, around 6,000 individuals face lengthy waits for kidney transplants from non-family donors, with an average waiting period extending up to eight years. This situation was highlighted at a training program on deceased organ donation organized by ROTTO-N and PGIMER. Over 80,000 patients are on the national kidney transplant waitlist, facing significant survival battles and financial strain.
PGIMER has seen approximately 3,000 kidney transplants out of 9,000 registered patients over the years, leaving 6,000 still waiting for donors. In Chandigarh, PGIMER is the only government hospital performing organ transplants. To address the donor shortage, Dr. Ashish Sharma emphasized the need for better donor identification and timely certification of brain-stem death.
The training event also facilitated discussions on strengthening the organ donation program and felicitated a family that donated organs. Speakers stressed the importance of public awareness, with plans to reach out to village communities. The profound impact of transplants on recipients' lives was also shared, reinforcing the value of organ donation.
