Home / Health / Organ Transplant Gap Widens: Lakhs Wait, Few Donors
Organ Transplant Gap Widens: Lakhs Wait, Few Donors
3 Sep
Summary
- Over one lakh patients need transplants, with a new patient added every 20 minutes.
- Only 17% of organ transplants in 2025 were from deceased donors.
- Lack of trained counselors and brain death certification hinders donations.
India's organ transplant system is struggling to meet escalating demand, with over one lakh patients currently awaiting transplants. A new patient joins this critical waiting list every 20 minutes. Despite lifestyle changes increasing the need for organ transplants, the supply remains severely limited.
In 2025, India performed 20,138 organ transplants, but a mere 17% originated from deceased donors. This shortfall is attributed to several factors, including inadequate medical infrastructure in many hospitals and persistent myths surrounding organ donation among the public. Dr. Anil Kumar, Director of Notto, highlighted that doctors often miss organ donation opportunities by failing to identify brain-dead patients.
Further complicating the issue is the absence of adequate trained transplant counselors and established brain stem death certification committees in numerous healthcare facilities. These gaps significantly contribute to the widening disparity between the demand for organs and the available supply. Notto is actively addressing this by providing enhanced training for more counselors.
