In Focus by The Hindu Why India struggles with cadaver organ donation
Jan 14, 2026
In this discussion, Dr. Amalorpavanathan, a retired vascular surgeon instrumental in establishing Tamil Nadu's cadaver organ donation program, delves into India's organ donation challenges. He highlights the paradox of low cadaver donations despite high willingness. Family consent often overrides individual wishes, complicating the process. The podcast also explores the gender disparity in organ donation, with women donating more but men being the primary recipients. Dr. Amalorpavanathan urges for systemic improvements to streamline donations and enhance public trust.
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Willingness ≠ Actual Donation
- Stated willingness to donate (driving-license ticks, donor cards) is not the same as actual cadaver donation in India.
- Actual donation requires rare conditions like brain death in a registered transplant hospital and family consent, making real donors far fewer.
Improve Hospital Care First
- Prioritise improving in-hospital care and transparent treatment processes before pushing donor-card drives.
- Families consent more readily when they see doctors did their best and care was high-quality.
Certification Rules Narrow Donor Pool
- Legal and procedural rules restrict brain-death certification to registered doctors and transplant hospitals.
- This requirement shrinks the pool of certifiers and eligible hospitals, limiting deceased donations nationwide.