More than 15,000 organ transplants take place in 2022: Min in RS

The information was provided by Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to a question put forward by RJD MP Prof Manoj Kumar Jha, in the Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi: On Tuesday, the government announced that as many as 15,561 organ transplants were performed in India in 2022. The data was obtained from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). In addition, the total number of registered organ donors in the country was reported to be 4,49,760 as of March 20, 2023. The information was provided in response to a question raised by RJD MP Prof Manoj Kumar Jha during a session of the Rajya Sabha.

When questioned about the number of illegal organ donations that occurred in 2022, Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the House that a few cases of illegal human organ trade had been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through complaints or media reports. Dr Pawar stated that the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, authorized state-level authorities to investigate complaints regarding breaches in the Act or its rules and take appropriate action. Complaints of this nature were forwarded to the state governments concerned for investigation and action, according to the MoS. She also stated that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare does not maintain records of such cases.

The minister further informed the House that as of March 20, 2023, the number of patients waiting for organ replacement in India was 49,745. Dr Pawar also provided information on the government's efforts to speed up the process of organ donation and replacement. She mentioned the dissemination of information by NOTTO, ROTTOs, and SOTTOs, which are the three tiers of the National Organ Transplant Program (NOTP), as well as the availability of a website, www.notto.gov.in, and a 24x7 call center with a toll-free helpline number (1800114770) to provide information.

Organ donation is a critical issue in India, with the demand for organs far exceeding the supply. According to data from the National Health Portal, approximately 500,000 people die in India each year due to the unavailability of organs. As a result, it is essential to raise awareness about the need for organ donation and encourage more people to register as donors.

In this regard, the government has taken several steps to promote organ donation in recent years. In 2014, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) was established as a nodal agency for organ donation and transplantation in the country. The NOTP was launched in 2015 to coordinate organ donation and transplantation activities across the country. Additionally, various initiatives have been taken to increase awareness about organ donation and encourage more people to register as donors.

In conclusion, the government's efforts to promote organ donation and transplantation in India have yielded some positive results, as evidenced by the increase in the number of organ transplants and registered donors. However, more needs to be done to address the huge gap between the demand and supply of organs. The government, civil society organizations, and the public must work together to increase awareness about organ donation and encourage more people to come forward as donors.