MUMBAI: There are approximately 3,500 patients waiting for kidney transplants, 285 patients for liver transplants and 30 patients for heart transplant, according to the December 2017 data of the Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC), which oversees the distribution of organs donated by the cadaveric (deceased). But after the recent launch of a new website and an app on organ donation by the state government, transplants have increased with many more relatives of organ donors coming forward, according to health minister Dr Deepak Sawant.
The minister also highlighted that an estimated 1.8 lakh people suffer from renal failure nationally every year, while the number of renal transplants undertaken annually is only about 6,000. It is the same case with liver and heart transplants. An estimated 2 lakh patients die of liver failure or cancer annually in India. While 25,000 to 30,000 liver transplants are needed annually in India, only about 1,500 are performed.
“The digitalisation makeover of ZTCC, it has simplified the process and will help to reduce the queues,” said Dr Sawant.
