Organ pledging: Karnataka has the fourth highest number of registrations

As of April 17, while Karnataka has registered 35,920 pledges so far, Maharashtra has the highest with 50,886 registrations.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRAGEMENT

Karnataka stands fourth in terms of organ pledging in the country,  according to data from the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).

As of April 17, while Karnataka has registered 35,920 pledges so far, Maharashtra has the highest with 50,886 registrations. Rajasthan and Gujarat follow with 43,376 and 36,550 registrations.

Among districts, Dharwad has recorded the highest number of pledges with 8,196 registrations so far. Dharwad is followed by Ballari (8,095). These two districts have recorded the second and third highest pledges in the country after Ahmedabad, which has recorded the highest at 29,763 pledges.

Youth registrations highest

The highest pledging has been recorded in the age group of 30-45 years with 16,045 persons in this age group pledging their organs. This is followed by those in the age group of 18-30 years with 8,423 registrations. 

Women have outnumbered men in organ pledging, with 18,655 of the total 35,920 registrations being by women, according to data. 

QR code

To pledge for organ donation in Karnataka, people can use the NOTTO QR code, which is linked to the State health department’s initiative to simplify the process. This QR code that was launched in 2023 can be found on the websites of NOTTO or Jeevasarthakathe, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO), the nodal agency that facilitates cadaver organ donations. 

Rajani M., State Joint Director (Medical), said organ pledging increased after the introduction of the QR code and a campaign launched by the Union Health Ministry last year to encourage pledging.

“People can use the QR code reader on their smartphones or other devices to scan the code and fill out the pledge form. Upon successful pledge registration, the person will receive a donor card with a unique registration number. We are working with all hospitals to encourage pledging,” she said, adding that QR codes and online pledge options make the process of pledging easier and more accessible.

Organ donations

When this year is taken into account, Karnataka has seen 63 organ donations till April 17. It has been recording over 150 donations for the last three consecutive years annually. This year, so far, while Tamil Nadu has recorded the highest donations at 74, Telangana has 64 donations. 

Less than 5% turn into donations 

Although the number of people pledging organs is on the rise, not even 5% of them actually turn into donors. Naushad Pasha, Chief Transplant Coordinator at Jeevasarthakathe/SOTTO, said that of the total 1,155 organ donations in Karnataka so far (from 2007), not more than 15 donations are by those who have pledged organs.

Elaborating on the reasons, he said sometimes, the identified donor is not fit to donate due to  clinical reasons. “Or, someone from the donor family/distant family/friends circle says no to organ donation and the next of  kin do not have much say in taking a decision against the wish of those opposing it. Also, most of the time the family is not aware of the organ pledging done by the person,” Mr Pasha said, adding that it is important for people to keep their families in the loop while pledging organs.