Archive · 17 Aug 2025
Organ Donation in India: Myths, Realities, and the Future
Many people in India have diabetes, which can damage their kidneys and lead to kidney failure.
When kidneys fail, people need a transplant to survive.
Kidney transplants are often done in India.
People can donate a kidney while they are alive, and it's generally safe for the donor.
Sometimes, people's bodies don't match, so they can't receive a kidney from a specific donor.
To solve this, they may use a kidney swap program, where different donor-recipient pairs exchange kidneys to find matches.
These swaps increase the number of available kidneys and help save lives.
Over 10 crore Indians are diabetic, a leading cause of chronic kidney disease.
Kidney transplantation is preferred for kidney failure patients due to better life quality and expectancy.
Living donors provide the majority of kidneys in India, with the procedure governed by law.
The risk of kidney failure for donors is only slightly higher compared to non-donors.
Kidney swap transplantation helps overcome incompatibility, increasing donor availability.
- Who
- The article is written by Swati Chaturvedi and discusses insights from Dr. Tanmay Pandya.
- What
- An article about organ donation, kidney health, and transplantation in India, with a focus on challenges and solutions.
- When
- Published on August 17, 2025.
- Where
- India
- Why
- To inform the public about kidney health, the need for organ donation, and innovative solutions for kidney transplantation in India.
Perspectives on Donor Safety
Benefits of Kidney Transplantation
Donor Risks
Perspectives on Donor Safety
Living donors face short and long-term risks from surgery.
Benefits of Kidney Transplantation
The risk of developing CKD after donation is only marginally higher compared to non-donors.
- Diabetic Indians
- 10.1 crore
- Prediabetic Indians
- 2.5 crore
- ESKD Patients Annually
- Over 3 lakh
- Risk of CKD after donation
- 0.24% higher
- Kidney Swap Transplants per year at IKDRC
- 100-150