Kolhapur tops organ donation charts; 70% pledgers are women

Kolhapur, home to approximately 3.8 million people according to the 2011 census, has emerged as Maharashtra's frontrunner in online organ donation pledges.

- Rupsa Chakraborty

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Since October 2023, when the central government launched a web portal to facilitate citizens' pledges for organ and tissue donation, the Kolhapur district has recorded 3,760 pledges, outpacing much larger cities like Mumbai and Pune.

Organ donation pledges are not legally binding. If someone dies under conditions suitable for donation—such as brain death in a hospital—the pledge can ease decision-making and speed up the transplantation process.

Data from the Maharashtra government's health department highlights a rising wave of support for organ donation across the state, with one striking feature: the overwhelming participation of women.

As of March 2025, Maharashtra has registered over 43,000 online organ donation pledges. Yet, a deeper look at the data reveals significant geographic and demographic disparities.