Mumbai organ donation has seen a modest uptick this year, with seven cadaver donations recorded in just 23 days. Yet the city’s transplant system remains strained, as families and coordinators grapple with limited recipients and logistical hurdles that keep the number of organs actually transplanted far below the potential.
Background / Context
Since Mumbai launched India’s first cadaver transplant programme in 1997, the city has been a benchmark for organ donation. However, recent statistics paint a stark picture: the city’s cadaver donation count fell from 60 in 2024 to 53 in 2025, an 11% decline. In 2026, the first month alone saw six donors, yet only 18 of the 26 organs consented were retrieved. Nationally, India’s organ donation rate remains under 1% of the population, despite ranking third worldwide in total transplants. With over 63,000 patients awaiting kidney transplants and 22,000 needing liver transplants, the gap between need and supply is widening.
Public hospitals in Mumbai, which historically have been the backbone of the city’s transplant network, are under-resourced. “One needs a system in place, transplant coordinators, and ICUs that can maintain a brain‑dead patient, but clearly this isn’t happening with our public hospitals,” said a senior doctor, citing the lack of infrastructure and trained staff as key bottlenecks.
Key Developments
On Friday, a 49‑year‑old man declared brain‑dead at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, had his family consent to donate all his organs, potentially saving up to eight lives. Coordinators from the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC) reached out to all registered hospitals, but recipients were found only for his liver and kidneys. The family had also agreed to donate his pancreas and hands, yet no hospital had a ready recipient for those organs.
Dr. S. Mathur of ZTCC explained the mismatch: “There is always a difference in the number of organs consented to be donated and the actual utilisation. At times, some organs are not optimal enough to be transplanted, and at other times the would‑be recipient has a slight fever or does not have funds for the operation.”
An unnamed senior surgeon added a different perspective, suggesting that hospitals may only seek consent for organs they are equipped to transplant. “Why would a hospital not known for pancreas or hand transplants seek consent for these organs? It’s a fractured system,” he said.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Nilesh Satbhai of Nanavati Hospital, Juhu, highlighted the scarcity of local hand donations. “All the hand donations in the operations I did came from outside Mumbai. Not one from Mumbai,” he noted. The three hand donations in the city over the past five years were assigned to patients registered with BMC‑run KEM Hospital in Parel. On Jan 9, he performed a rare hand transplant for a 20‑year‑old boy from Rajkot, using arms from a 50‑year‑old woman from Surat. The transplant was successful, but the need to transport the donor’s hands by flight added significant cost.
These incidents underscore a systemic issue: while families are increasingly willing to donate, the infrastructure to match donors with recipients and to retrieve all viable organs remains inadequate.
Impact Analysis
For patients awaiting transplants, the delay can be life‑threatening. “Every day a kidney or liver waits, a patient’s condition deteriorates,” said Dr. Mathur. The shortage also affects medical students and residents who rely on cadaver donations for training. “Cadaveric organs are essential for surgical practice and research,” explained a senior resident at a leading Mumbai hospital. The lack of available organs hampers skill development and reduces the city’s capacity to produce competent transplant surgeons.
From a public health perspective, the low donation rate translates into higher mortality and morbidity. Families who lose loved ones to organ failure often face emotional and financial burdens. The city’s health authorities report that the cost of transplant procedures can exceed ₹30 lakhs, a figure that many patients cannot afford without insurance or donor funding.
Moreover, the economic ripple effect extends to the healthcare system. Hospitals that cannot secure donors may see reduced transplant volumes, impacting revenue streams and the viability of specialized transplant units.
Expert Insights / Tips
- For families considering donation: Engage early with the ZTCC or local hospital coordinators. Understanding the process and timelines can help ensure that all viable organs are retrieved.
- For medical students: Seek out institutions that maintain a robust cadaveric program. Volunteering in organ procurement teams can provide invaluable hands‑on experience.
- For policymakers: Invest in dedicated ICU units for brain‑dead patients and train a cadre of transplant coordinators. A streamlined, computer‑based points system, as used by ZTCC, can improve organ matching efficiency.
- For the public: Raise awareness through community outreach. Simple actions like registering as a donor on the national portal can increase the donor pool.
- For transplant centers: Develop partnerships with private hospitals to broaden the recipient base, especially for organs like pancreas and hands that are less commonly transplanted.
Looking Ahead
The Union Health Ministry’s recent acknowledgment that India’s organ donation rate remains under 1% has prompted calls for a national strategy. In Mumbai, the city council is exploring a public‑private partnership model to expand ICU capacity and streamline donor registration. Pilot programs are being tested to allow real‑time organ matching across state lines, potentially reducing the time between donation and transplantation.
Technology may also play a role. Tele‑consultation platforms can connect transplant teams across cities, ensuring that organs are not wasted due to geographic constraints. Additionally, artificial intelligence algorithms are being trialed to predict organ viability, which could reduce the number of organs deemed unusable.
Despite these initiatives, the core challenge remains: aligning donor willingness with recipient availability. Without a coordinated effort that addresses infrastructure, training, and public awareness, Mumbai’s organ donation system will continue to struggle.
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