Kerala's organ donation surge: How two tragic deaths ‘inspired’ over 1,000 new donors

Kottayam: Two weeks ago, two young men, Biljith and Isaac, were declared brain-dead following separate accidents. Their tragic deaths have since sparked a wave of compassion and action across Kerala.

Biljith, from Nedumbassery, gave a second chance at life to seven individuals through the donation of his organs. Similarly, Isaac, a native of Kottarakara, saved the lives of six people. Even in the midst of grief, their families stepped forward with extraordinary courage and consented to organ donation. Kerala paid heartfelt tribute to these families, who chose to turn their personal loss into a life-giving act.

In the fortnight following these two cases, an impressive 1,046 individuals registered as organ donors on the Kerala government's official K-SOTTO (Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation) website. These figures cover the period from September 11 onwards. As a result, Kerala, which previously ranked 11th in the National Organ Donor Registry, has now moved up to 10th position. There are currently 8,258 people listed from the state.

Kerala had shown promising progress in organ donation during the early years of the 'Mritasanjeevani' programme. However, over the past five years, registration numbers had seen a decline. As of September 11, there are 2,875 patients currently registered and waiting for life-saving transplants.

Speaking on the development, Dr Noble Gracious, Executive Director of K-SOTTO, said that while growing public willingness to donate organs after death is encouraging, the role and responsibility of healthcare professionals in supporting and facilitating this process is equally vital.

Those who wish to pledge their organs can register at K-SOTTO’s official website, ksotto.kerala.gov.in, or on the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation at https://notto.abdm.gov.in/.