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New Beginnings

About Organ Donation

Organ donation is the act of giving an organ or tissue to save or improve another person’s life. In India, donation can happen during life such as donating a kidney or part of the liver, or after death, when vital organs like the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and corneas can help multiple people.

Organ donation and transplantation in India are regulated by national law, which recognises brain death and strictly prohibits the sale or commercial use of organs. Transplants are carried out only in authorised hospitals by trained medical teams.

Despite advanced medical facilities and skilled doctors, India faces a severe shortage of donated organs. Greater awareness and informed choices can help bridge this gap and give many waiting patients a second chance at life.

Listening to Learn: Organ Donation and Transplantation
A Guard of Honour to the donor

There are two main types of donation:

Living donation
A healthy person donates an organ or part of an organ (like a kidney or liver segment) to someone in need. Organ India

Deceased donation
Organs are donated after a person has been declared brain-dead. This can save multiple lives and give hope to those on transplant waiting lists. Organ India

While awareness is growing slowly, many Indians are still unaware of how donation works or how to register. Increasing understanding and encouraging more people to become donors can help change this and give many more people a chance at a longer, healthier life.

FAQ's

Is organ donation legal in India?

Yes. Organ donation in India is governed by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA). It strictly regulates transplants and bans any buying or selling of organs.

Brain death is legally recognised as death in India. It must be certified by a panel of authorised doctors before organs can be donated.

 

No. In India, living donation (kidney, part of liver) is allowed, usually between close relatives. Deceased donation happens after brain death and can save multiple lives.

Yes. All major religions practised in India support or permit organ donation as an act of compassion and saving lives.

Organs are allocated through government-authorised networks based on medical urgency, compatibility, and waiting lists. It is not influenced by wealth or status.

 

Yes. Even if someone has pledged to donate organs, family consent is required at the time of donation. Informing your family is crucial.

How Organ Donation Actually Works in an Indian Hospital

Step 1: Medical emergency and treatment comes first

When a patient is brought to a hospital, doctors focus only on saving the person’s life. Organ donation is not discussed, considered, or even relevant at this stage. Different medical teams handle treatment and donation. They do not overlap.

Step 2: Brain death is identified

If a patient suffers irreversible brain injury and does not respond to treatment, doctors may suspect brain death.
In India, brain death is declared only after multiple clinical tests conducted at set intervals by a panel of authorised doctors, as required by law.

If the patient is not brain-dead, organ donation does not happen. Period.

Step 3: Family counselling and consent

Once brain death is legally certified, a trained transplant coordinator speaks with the family.
The family is gently informed about brain death and given the option of organ donation. There is no pressure. Consent must be clear and documented.

Without family consent, the process stops.

Step 4: Matching and allocation

After consent, donor details are entered into a government-authorised organ allocation system.

Organs are matched based on:

  • Medical urgency
  • Blood group and compatibility
  • Waiting time
  • Geography

Donors or families cannot choose recipients, and money plays no role.

Step 5: Organ retrieval and transplantation

Organs are surgically retrieved with full respect and care for the donor’s body.
They are transported quickly under strict medical protocols to recipient hospitals, where transplant surgeries are performed.

A single deceased donor can save multiple lives.

Step 6: The body is returned to the family

After retrieval, the body is carefully prepared and returned to the family for last rites.
Organ donation does not delay funerals or prevent religious rituals.

What this process ensures

  • Donation happens only after legal death declaration
  • Transparency and accountability
  • No commercial involvement
  • Respect for the donor and family


Organ donation in India is a highly regulated medical process, not a rushed decision or a backdoor transaction. It works quietly, carefully, and only when families choose compassion in an unimaginably difficult moment.

Foreword by Usha Uthup

With her signature grace, Usha Uthup shares her heartfelt perspective, adding depth and warmth to these stories of new beginnings.