Make presumed consent the standard for organ donations

In the last decade, India has made bold strides in health care. Yet when it comes to organ transplantation, unfortunately, a silent crisis continues to claim thousands of lives.

- Prathap C Reddy

Organ Donation Day, which fell earlier this week, was yet another reminder for us to take action to urgently address the need for organ donation on a larger scale. Nearly half-a-million Indians die every year waiting for a lifesaving transplant due to the unavailability of organs.

We have the medical expertise, and what we need now is a collective will at a national level to bridge the gap between organ supply and demand. The gap between patients’ needs and organ availability and transplantation in India shows the need for urgent change. Around 200,000 patients with end-stage kidney disease, 50,000 patients with severe liver failure, and 50,000 patients with severe heart disease require a transplant to save their lives. Against this, only around 1,600 kidneys, 700 livers, and 300 hearts are transplanted each year. Every day, at least 15 patients die waiting for an organ.