INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
When 18-year-old Neha Nathani met with a road accident in March and showed minimal signs of recovery over five days, her family decided to
Neha, who was in Std XII, wanted to become a doctor, which made the decision crystal clear for her parents
other families of organ donors and recipients, were honoured
Organ India to spread the word
another person a new lease of life, and our recipients, who have embraced this opportunity to lead their best lives, they are our heroes
in India, where the deceased organ donation rate has remained under one donor per million population
Actor Anupam Kher, the chief guest at the event, was visibly moved by the inspiring stories of families who donated organs amidst the grief
permanent ambassador for organ donation given the need to bridge the gap between donors and recipients
Dr Santosh Shetty, executive director - CEO of KDAH, said as per data from the Union health ministry organ transplants in India have
increased just over three-fold from 4,990 in 2013 to 16,041 in 2022
However, nearly 83% of these transplants are from living donor, where a family member donates an organ to a kin in need
But, it is ideal to have more deceased donors since that eliminates any risk associated with taking an organ from a living donor, he added
new person joins the growing list of individuals waiting for an organ transplant
More states must initiate robust donation programmes since the lead is taken by only five or six currently, including Telangana, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra
He appreciated the work done by the zonal transplant coordination committee and the state and regional bodies in building the programme
A silver lining, Tina Ambani said, is the rise in awareness about organ donation with myths and superstitions being debunked, and
registration numbers increasing
The Times of India-KDAH campaign has witnessed pledges nearing the two lakh mark over the years
Donors and recipients said it is important to dispel myths and understand how recipients lead fulfilling lives after undergoing a transplant
Sukhwinder Kaur (55) shared her story after receiving a kidney transplant in 2012
Given a second chance to live, she started running marathons and has participated in over two dozen since, starting from 2km to 42km races
Bengaluru-based Varun Anand (13) was grateful to his mother for donating one of her kidneys and saving his life
He decided to up his fitness levels since the surgery and has participated in tennis, badminton, and table tennis at the World Transplant
Jaya Jairam, project director of NGO Mohan Foundation, who also received a kidney from her mother 13 years ago, said that organ failure is
an emotional, physical, and financial challenge for the families that transplants alleviate
