Odisha sees 11% increase in organ transplantation

BHUBANESWAR: Organ transplantation in Odisha has witnessed around 11 per cent jump in one year owing to increased awareness on organ donations and improved medical facilities. Cadaveric organ transplantation has gone up by 50 per cent during the period.

As per the latest data released by National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), as many as 197 organs were transplanted in the state in 2023 as compared to 178 in 2022.

The state so far conducted 1,540 organ transplants of which 29 were retrieved from deceased donors. Odisha is among a few states that saw the rise in cadaveric organ transplantation over the years. While four cadaveric transplants were conducted in 2022, it was six in 2023 and around 10 so far this year.

Of the 197 organs transplanted last year, all were kidneys and six among those were retrieved from the deceased donors. While a private hospital conducted the first live liver transplantation in the state in 2020, two liver transplants have been carried out this year.

Nodal officer of State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) Dr UK Satapathy said organ donation and transplantation picked up pace after the state created its own mechanism and introduced a new scheme – Jeevan Upahar in 2018-19.

“From one hospital a decade ago to 14 hospitals now in the state have been permitted to perform organ and tissue transplantation activities. We have also launched Suraj Awards to honour the organ donors and so far 20 have received the award,” he said.

Renal transplantation was first started in SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack in 2012. Although the state has been successful in renal transplantation and already initiated liver transplantation, it has been lagging behind some leading states in heart, lungs, pancreas and small bowel transplantation.

SOTTO joint director Dr Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak said the government has been focusing on transplantation of other organs. While the process has already begun to start heart transplantation at SCB, plans are afoot for lung transplantation in the next phase, he said.

Health experts said there is a waiting list of over three lakh patients and 20 persons are dying every day waiting for an organ in the country. “The state has a very high burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension resulting in kidney and liver failure. People should come forward for organ donations,” said senior urologist Dr Manas Ranjan Pradhan.