Tamil Nadu has received the ‘Best State’ award at the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day for its outstanding contribution to deceased organ donation and transplantation.
Tamil Nadu has once again emerged as India’s leader in deceased organ donation, receiving the ‘Best State’ award at the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day for its sustained efforts in organ donation and transplantation.
The state’s well-established organ-sharing network, strong government participation, and public awareness initiatives have helped thousands of patients receive life-saving transplants while setting national benchmarks in deceased organ donation. (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda addresses the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day Ceremony
)(2✔ ✔Trusted Source
ACHIEVEMENTS OF TRANSTAN
)
Advertisement
Why Did Tamil Nadu Win India’s Best State Award for Organ Donation?
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel presented the ‘Best State’ award to Tamil Nadu Health Minister K.G. Arunraj in recognition of the state’s outstanding contribution to deceased organ donation.
The state recorded 266 deceased donors in 2025, leading to the utilization of 1,476 organs, including 856 major organs and 620 tissues and minor organs. More than half of these donations came from government hospitals, highlighting the growing role of the public healthcare system in organ transplantation.
The ceremony also recognized individuals who strengthened the state’s transplant program.
- The family of a brain-dead donor from Madurai was honored for their life-saving decision.
- R. Vinothkumar, transplant coordinator at the Government Medical College Hospital, Tirunelveli, received the Best Transplant Coordinator award for facilitating the highest number of deceased organ donations during 2025.
Advertisement
How Has Tamil Nadu Become India’s Organ Donation Leader?
Tamil Nadu has built one of India’s most organized deceased donor programs since launching it in 2008 with just seven donors.
The programme reached a record 268 deceased donors in 2024 and maintained strong performance with 266 donors in 2025, despite the temporary decline seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From October 2008 to July 2026, the state recorded 2,490 deceased donors, resulting in the transplantation of 14,532 organs and tissues.
These include:
- 8,797 major organs, including 1,027 hearts, 1,071 lungs, 2,204 livers, 4,394 kidneys, 49 pancreas, 39 small intestines, four stomachs, and nine hands.
- 5,735 tissues, including corneas, heart valves, skin, bones, and spinal tissues.
TRANSTAN also highlights several national milestones achieved by Tamil Nadu.
- First state in India to streamline organ allocation.
- First to clarify medico-legal procedures for brain-dead organ donation.
- First to introduce liver transplantation in a government hospital.
- First to perform complex combined organ transplants.
- Recipient of the Government of India’s Best State Award for organ donation multiple times.
- Earned international recognition through a Guinness World Record and an Asia Book of Records for large-scale organ donation awareness campaigns.
Advertisement
Why Does Organ Donation Remain a National Health Priority?
India continues to face a major gap between the number of patients waiting for organ transplants and the availability of donated organs.
At the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda described organ donation as “one of the noblest acts of humanity” and stressed that increasing awareness and family consent remain essential to saving more lives.
The ministry reported that:
- More than 3.3 lakh people have pledged to donate their organs through the Aadhaar-linked NOTTO portal since 2023.
- India performed over 18,900 organ transplants in 2024, the highest ever recorded in a single year, compared with fewer than 5,000 transplants in 2013.
- The country now ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants.
- India also leads the world in hand transplantation, reflecting major advances in transplant infrastructure and surgical expertise.
Health experts say these achievements highlight the importance of strengthening deceased organ donation programmes, improving public awareness, and encouraging more families to support organ donation to save lives.
References:
- Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda addresses the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day Ceremony – (https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2151756&lang=2®=48)
- TRANSTAN Achievements of TRANSTAN – (https://transtan.tn.gov.in/index.php)
Source-Medindia