'State Honour' initiative helps Tamil Nadu register all-time increase in organ donations

The substantial increase in number of organ donations are attributed to government’s decision in September 2023 to accord 'State Honour' for organ donors at their funeral.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu, a pioneer state in organ transplantation in the country, has witnessed a significant jump in organ donations in the year gone-by with 268 cadaver organ donations being received in 2024 alone which led to 1,484 transplants.

Also, the number of people pledging to donate their organs after death has also gone up exponentially this year to 11,547 against 7,550 in 2023.

The substantial increase in the number of organ donations and people registering to donate organs are attributed to the Tamil Nadu government’s decision in September 2023 to accord State Honour for organ donors at their funeral. Several initiatives, including training to doctors, on creating awareness on donating human organs have also contributed to the rise in numbers.

As many as 863 major organs and 637 minor organs and tissues were harvested in 2024, with the state registering an all-time high ever since it started the transplant program in 2008. The 268 organ donations received in 2024 is much higher than the 178 organ donations recorded in 2023, resulting in about 1,000 transplants.

From 2008 to 2024, Tamil Nadu registered 2,055 organ donations leading to harvesting of 7,396 major organs and 4,724 minor organs and tissues, data accessed by DH showed. The number of transplants performed in the state in the last 16 years stands at 12,014, with kidney topping the list of major organs harvested so far at 3,643, followed by liver (1,844), lungs (928), heart (915), and pancreas (42).

“While the waitlist stands at 7,257, Tamil Nadu continues to lead in life-saving organ transplants and transparency in the process,” Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), said.

The number of organ donors which was on an upward slide from 2008 slumped in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. From 127 organ donations in 2019, the number came down to 55 in 2020 and 60 in 2021 but it increased to 156 in 2022 and 178 in 2023.

“Tamil Nadu in September 2023 became the first state to announce that organ donors will be accorded State Honours at their funeral. This move has played a major role in more people coming forward to donate their organs,” Dr N Gopalakrishnan, Member-Secretary, Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN), told DH.

State Honours have been given to 326 persons since the government order came into existence, Gopalakrishnan said, adding that as many as 11,547 people have voluntarily registered to donate their organs after death in 2024 alone, taking the number to 19,097 in just two years.

Besides the honour, TRANSTAN conducted a structured orientation program for doctors from government medical colleges across the state to create awareness and train them on organ donation.

“We identified doctors who are involved in the process and trained them. Though they are well-versed with the procedures, we want to train to overcome hesitation in approaching the relatives of brain-dead patients,” Gopalakrishnan added.

He said ‘honour walk’, first instituted by the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai, and now implemented by many government medical institutions have also contributed to the increase in numbers.

“Medical students, nurses, and housekeeping staff of the hospital line up from the hospital building till the mortuary when the body is shifted as an honour for the donor. This is also one of the reasons for many people coming forward to donate their organs,” Gopalakrishnan added.