Introduction:
Organ transplantation is a crucial medical procedure in India. The country has made significant strides in recent years in terms of organ donation and transplantation. However, there is still a significant shortage of organs in the country, which limits the number of transplants that can be performed.
Current state of organ transplants in India:
Between 2015 and 2021, there were 28,258 solid organ transplants performed in India.
The majority of these transplants (62.4%) were kidney transplants, followed by liver (25.5%), heart (5.3%), lung (3.8%), and pancreas (2.9%) transplants.
The number of transplants performed has been steadily increasing over the years, with 5,735 transplants performed in 2015 and 5,746 transplants performed in 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on organ donation and transplantation in India, leading to a decrease in the number of donations and transplants performed.
Proportion of organ transplants from live donors vs cadavers:
The majority of organ transplants in India (approximately 72%) come from live donors.
The remaining 28% of transplants come from deceased donors (cadavers).
The proportion of cadaveric donations has been increasing steadily in recent years, which is a positive development as it can help address the shortage of organs in the country.
Efforts are being made to encourage more cadaveric donations and to improve the infrastructure and systems required to facilitate such donations.
Conclusion:
India has made significant progress in organ transplantation in recent years, with the number of transplants performed steadily increasing. However, there is still a significant shortage of organs in the country, which limits the number of transplants that can be performed. The majority of transplants in India come from live donors, but efforts are being made to increase the proportion of cadaveric donations, which can help address the shortage of organs.
