Organ donations rebound in Kerala, 25 organs donated in Dec

Thiruvananthapuram: After years of decline, organ donations in Kerala are seeing a resurgence, with 25 organs donated this month alone, taking the total for the year to 78. Of the 25 organs donated so far this month, doctors have already performed transplants for 24 recipients.

Doctors procured as many as five organs from nine-year-old Devaprayag, who died in a road accident. Surgeons transplanted his liver and one kidney into a single recipient.

Kerala earlier recorded high donation rates, with 215 donors in 2015 and 200 in 2016. However, the numbers declined sharply in subsequent years, mainly due to a lack of public awareness. Over the past two years, the state recorded just 11 donors each year.

At present, 3,072 people in Kerala are on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants. While living relatives or close friends can donate organs, the scarcity of donors and the high cost of post-operative care often make this option unviable for underprivileged families. Nationally, Tamil Nadu leads in posthumous organ donations.

In a first for the state, doctors harvested the skin of S Shibu, a resident of Chirkara in Kollam. After processing and preservation in a skin bank, such donations play a crucial role in treating severe burn victims and patients with critical injuries caused by accidents.

Dr Noble Gracious, Executive Director of K-SOTTO, the government agency coordinating organ donations, said a recent Malayala Manorama article titled "Kerala lags behind in posthumous organ donation; mindset should change," published on December 4, sparked widespread public interest and awareness about the importance of organ donation.