Andhra Pradesh ranks sixth in organ donation

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has secured sixth place in the country in organ donation, health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced here on Tuesday. The ranking was revealed in the State-wise Organ Donation List–2025 released by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the apex body under the Union ministry of health and family welfare.

Reviewing the activities of Jeevan Daan in light of recent High Court directions to enhance transplant surgeries in government hospitals, the Minister stressed the need for visible progress. He noted that the number of government hospitals performing organ transplants has increased from three to nine, including KGH and VIMS (Visakhapatnam), GGH (Guntur and Kurnool), SVIMS (Tirupati), AIIMS (Mangalagiri), Padmavathi Children’s Heart Centre (Tirupati), Kidney Research Centre (Palasa), and GGH (Vijayawada). In the past two months alone, organs from 18 brain-dead donors helped save 64 lives — a significant rise compared to previous years. So far, eight kidney and one liver transplants were performed from brain-dead donors in government hospitals, while 87 kidney transplants were carried out from living relatives. Recently, a successful heart transplant was completed using a heart retrieved from a brain-dead donor in Vijayawada.

Currently, 5,347 patients are registered for organ transplants in the State, with nearly 5,000 awaiting donations, most under 50 years of age. Since its inception, Jeevan Daan has facilitated new life for over 1,200 patients, including 301 in the past year alone.

The minister said under GO 95, organ donors are accorded government honours during last rites and Rs 10,000 financial assistance, with a proposal under consideration to enhance support up to Rs 1 lakh.