Bengaluru: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) has facilitated 94 organ donations since 2018, when it was notified as a non-transplant organ retrieval centre, according to its organ donation report released on Friday.
Kidneys lead organ donations
Kidneys accounted for the highest number of donations at 27, followed by 24 heart valves, 20 corneas, 12 livers, five skin, four lungs and two hearts.
Nimhans joined Jeeva Sarthakathe, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), in 2025 to strengthen organ donation efforts. Six donations were recorded last year and another six have been recorded so far this year.
Thousands continue to await transplants
Karnataka recorded 198 cadaver donations and 564 organs in 2025-26, according to Dr Arun Kumar DP, Programme Officer, Jeeva Sarthakathe.
However, the demand for organs continues to exceed supply. As many as 5,042 people are awaiting kidney transplants, with an average waiting period of 2.5 to three years. Another 667 are waiting for liver transplants, while 85 are awaiting heart transplants and 44 require lung transplants.
Medico-legal cases involving accidents and brain trauma remain a challenge in organ donation, as families and medical teams must also coordinate with law enforcement authorities.
Awareness efforts to encourage donation
A multidisciplinary panel discussion, ‘From Fear to Hope: Preserving Life through Organ Donation’, was held at Nimhans on Friday to discuss the medical, ethical, procedural and psychosocial aspects of donation.
Nimhans also organised a walkathon on August 14 to raise awareness. Director Dr Prabha S Chandra flagged off the event, with participants walking from the SBI Nimhans branch to Kittur Rani Chennamma Stadium in Jayanagar carrying the message, ‘Donate Organs. Save Lives’.
The institute also noted that the National Guidelines on Brain Death Certification, released on August 3, provide greater clinical clarity in assessing and certifying brain-stem death.