Organ donation in Kerala rises in 2025

Kerala has witnessed renewed vigour in organ donation, with the donor numbers more than doubling in 2025 compared to the previous year. As many as 25 deceased donor donations have been recorded at the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO).

The total number of deceased donor organs donated stands at 75, with kidney being the most donated organ (41), followed by liver (21) and heart (7).

The number of donors stood at 21 in 2020 before declining in the subsequent years and hitting a low of 11 donors in 2024.

“The rise in awareness among the community has contributed to the increase in numbers. Families of brain-dead patients are now coming forward for organ donation,” said K-SOTTO executive director and State convener of the Mrithasanjeevani organ transplant programme Noble Gracious.

The highest number of the donations was in 2015 with 76 donors. It dropped to 72 in 2016 and 18 in 2017.

The misinformation prevailing among the public and unwillingness among doctors to certify brain death were the reasons for the dip, according to doctors. The misleading portrayal in movies contributed to the dip, he said.

Certification training for doctors

“But with campaigns and workshops, there is more acceptance in the community and organ donations are increasing. Doctors are also been trained and empowered in brain death certification,” he said. As many as 400 doctors were trained in brain death certification in 2025.

A. Babu, the father of late Amal Babu, whose organs were donated after he breathed his last in October says it was his mother Simla Babu who first broached the topic of organ donation with the doctors. “After we saw our son’s situation, she asked the doctors if we could donate his organs,” he said.

“Six organs were harvested. Our son’s heart was transplanted to Ajmal. We used to call our son Unni; that’s how my wife calls Ajmal now. Our son will continue to live with six people,” said Mr. Babu.

The transplant ecosystem needs to scale up as the donations increase, said Dr. Gracious. “We need to focus on improving the infrastructure, building capacity, etc. Although there are more than 50 registered transplant centres, not all of them can actively execute and implement organ transplantation, as cadaveric transplants occur suddenly and without prior notice. Consequently, the scale of preparation required differs from that of live transplants,” he said.

As many as 10,541 persons have pledged to donate organs in the State.