Some gifts are quiet. They are not wrapped or celebrated, but they carry the power to change everything. Organ donation is one such gift—a silent act of generosity that gives another person the chance to live.
Each year, in India, over five lakh people lose their lives waiting for an organ. The need is vast, especially for kidney, liver and heart. Yet, our organ donation remains among the lowest in the world. This is not because of a lack of skill or intent. It is because too many lives are caught between hesitation and hope.
Many remain unaware that a brain-dead person can save up to eight lives through organ donation. Others hesitate—held back by myths, cultural beliefs or fear. In smaller towns, even when there’s willingness, the shortage of ICUs, transplant-ready hospitals and coordination lead to missed opportunities.
Still, there is reason to hope. States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have shown what is possible. Tamil Nadu has consistently achieved a deceased donor rate of 1.8 per million population, nearly seven times higher than the national average. Recently, Mysuru’s organ donation initiative saved over 250 lives in a single year. These are not just numbers. They are stories of compassion, planning and leadership.
At the national level, too, momentum is building. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly called attention to the transformative power of organ donation. His message is simple and powerful—one donor can save up to eight lives. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is driving nationwide awareness and coordination, with key policies like ‘one nation, one policy’ removing age and domicile barriers to improve access to life-saving transplants.
This vision of an equitable transplant system has long been close to our hearts at Apollo. My father—Dr Prathap C. Reddy—was among the earliest voices calling for legislation to enable ethical and structured organ donation in India. In the early 1990s, he worked closely with parliamentarians to help bring the Transplantation of Human Organs Act to life. His belief was simple—organ donation must be enshrined in law so that it could be protected, expanded and trusted. That conviction continues to guide us.
Today, Apollo performs five solid organ transplants every single day across 27 centres. We have completed over 25,000 such procedures—including more than 20,000 kidney transplants and nearly 5,000 liver transplants. But the measure of success is not in numbers; it is in every life renewed, every family made whole again.
To build a true national movement, we must donate a part of our lives—not just wait until death. What if, at 18, when receiving a driving licence or opening a bank account, every individual was asked if they would like to pledge their organs?
Technology can simplify organ pledging through digital registries and mobile apps, while also enhancing transparency. As a compassionate society, we must speak openly about the life that can follow death—for organ donation is not a tragedy, but the ultimate act of empathy, offering others a second chance.
So, as we observe National Organ Donation Day on August 3, let us choose to make that future possible!
Dr Preetha Reddy is Executive Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited.