THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Deceased organ donations in Kerala have climbed to a five-year peak, with 21 contributions recorded this year, signalling renewed public confidence in a programme that has often faced criticism.
The two contributions were instrumental in pushing the tally to a record high of 21 this year. The surge was driven by the families of two donors who were declared brain-dead in separate accidents. Thiruvananthapuram native K Satheesh, principal of a Higher Secondary School, was one of them. Kozhikode native V K Sreebith, Law Secretary at the Women and Children Hospital, was the other. Both men, in their fifties, were declared brain-dead on December 12 and 13 respectively.
Sreebith’s children, Geethika S Sreebith, an MBBSstudent, and Rithu Geeth, a BTech student at IIT Kharagpur, insisted on donating their father’s organs to save lives. To expedite the process, they shifted him from Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram to a tertiary private hospital. The family even approached the Health Minister’s office to ensure brain death certification and facilitate the donation.
A programme rebounding from decline
The deceased organ donor programme had hit a low in 2024, with only 11 donations. Public trust had eroded due to frivolous petitions against hospitals and doctors involved in brain death certification and transplantation, as well as misleading portrayals in cinema. This was in sharp contrast to 2015, when the programme recorded 76 donations.
In response, the government empowered the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (K-SOTTO), the nodal agency for transplantation, to restore credibility.
“Public attitude toward organ donation has changed for the better. People now realise that in cases of brain death, organ donation is the right path,” said Dr Noble Gracious, executive director of K-SOTTO.
Over the past year, K-SOTTO has conducted extensive awareness campaigns and organised brain death certification workshops for doctors. Yet, reluctance among medical professionals persists. “There is a law and clear guidelines on brain death certification. But doctors remain hesitant to take responsibility. If ICU doctors adopt brain death certification as routine practice, Kerala will transform dramatically,” Dr Noble emphasised.
Despite state efforts, government medical colleges remain underutilised in cadaver organ donation. With the exception of institutions like Kottayam Medical College, progress has been limited. Over the past five years, private hospitals have consistently secured up to 20 donors annually, while government facilities managed only two.
The story is reported by Unnikrishnan S of The New Indian Express
