Kolkata Organ Donation Surpasses: Kolkata has already crossed its 2024 tally of deceased organ donations, achieving 15 successful donations by September 2025—one more than the 14 recorded in the entire previous year. With three months still to go, this achievement signals not just a statistical improvement but also a cultural shift in awareness, hospital preparedness, and family willingness toward organ donation.
The latest case involved Subrata Bhattacharya, a 65-year-old former merchant navy officer, who was declared brain dead at Medica Hospital. His family decided to donate his liver and kidneys, which were subsequently transplanted into critically ill patients at Apollo Multispecialty Hospital, RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS), and Manipal Hospital, Mukundapur.
In another instance, the family of Sanchita Baksi, a former Deputy Health Secretary, also chose to donate her organs at Manipal Hospital under the hospital’s organ sharing programme. These gestures reflect the increasing compassion and social responsibility among families at times of deep personal grief.
The Current Scenario in Numbers
According to doctors and transplant coordinators, the 15 deceased donor cases so far in 2025 have already saved or improved dozens of lives. Each donor provides multiple transplantable organs, including kidneys, liver, corneas, and sometimes heart or lungs.
In contrast, 2024 had only 14 deceased organ donations across the year, leaving a huge gap compared to the over 1,000 patients in Bengal who require organ transplants annually. The rise in 2025, although modest, is significant in a region that has historically lagged behind states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra in organ donation numbers.
Role of Hospitals and Coordinating Agencies
Several institutions have been central to this improvement:
- Medica Superspecialty Hospital: Facilitated retrieval in the Bhattacharya case.
- Apollo Multispecialty Hospital, RTIICS, Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur: Major transplant centres in the city that receive and utilize donor organs.
- ROTTO (Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation – East): The official body that oversees allocation and ensures fairness in distribution across hospitals in eastern India.
- NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation): Coordinates at the national level, ensuring organs not used in Kolkata can be matched with recipients in other states if necessary.
Kolkata Organ Donation Surpasses: Understanding the Process
Deceased organ donation is possible only after the declaration of brain death, a legally recognized condition in India. Once certified by a board of doctors, families are approached for consent.
If they agree, transplant coordinators quickly initiate the retrieval process. Organs must be matched to recipients based on blood type, medical urgency, and availability. Logistics are critical—organs often need to be transported across the city or even to another state within hours, requiring seamless coordination between hospitals, ambulance services, and agencies.
Why Families Are Saying “Yes”
The recent rise in numbers has much to do with improved awareness and counseling. Families are now more familiar with the idea of brain death and organ donation.
In the Bhattacharya case, his sons Soumit and Souvir said they were motivated to consent because they had earlier witnessed a similar donation in the family and understood its value. Many donor families say they find comfort in knowing their loved one’s death has given others a chance to live.
Challenges That Remain
Despite the positive trend, Kolkata and Bengal continue to face serious hurdles:
- Awareness gap: Many families, especially in rural or semi-urban areas, remain unaware of the concept of brain death.
- Infrastructure limits: Only a handful of hospitals in Kolkata are equipped for deceased donor organ retrieval and transplant.
- Cultural hesitation: Some communities are reluctant due to religious or social beliefs.
- Huge demand-supply mismatch: With thousands waiting for kidneys, livers, and other organs, even 15 donors in nine months is far from enough.
The National Picture
At the national level, organ donation has been steadily rising. India recorded nearly 19,000 organ transplants in 2024, the highest ever, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Yet, the country’s deceased donation rate still stands at less than one per million population, far below global leaders like Spain or the United States.
Kolkata’s improved performance reflects this broader national momentum but highlights how much more remains to be done in eastern India.
What Experts Recommend
Medical experts and policy advocates suggest several ways to build on the momentum:
- Dedicated transplant coordinators in all ICUs to identify brain-dead patients.
- Wider public campaigns using schools, workplaces, and media to normalize organ donation.
- Recognition for donor families, not in monetary form but through certificates, memorials, and state-level acknowledgment.
- Streamlined legal procedures for brain death certification and retrieval.
- Investment in infrastructure, especially government hospitals, to reduce dependency on private centres.
Official Resources for Citizens
Those who want to pledge organ donation or seek more information can consult official government portals:
- National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO): https://notto.mohfw.gov.in
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India: https://www.mohfw.gov.in
- ROTTO East (Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation): Contact through SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, which houses the eastern ROTTO centre.
These bodies provide clear guidelines for donors, families, and recipients, along with data and registration facilities.
Looking Ahead
With three months left in 2025, doctors believe Kolkata could touch 18–20 deceased organ donations by year-end if awareness and coordination continue at the same pace. While this would still fall short of the demand, it would mark a significant step toward building a culture of organ donation in Bengal.
Each donation not only saves lives but also sparks conversations in families, neighborhoods, and communities, creating ripples of awareness. In the long run, that cultural change may be the most important achievement of all.
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