Bengaluru: Dharwad and Ballari districts have emerged as torchbearers in organ and tissue donation, not just in Karnataka but across South India. Ballari currently tops the charts with 9,273 pledges, while Dharwad closely follows with 9,006 registrations this year alone.
The surge is part of the Union Ministry of Health’s ongoing initiative under the Ayushman Bharat programme, through the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). The campaign aims to create a reliable registry of donors and improve access to life-saving transplants.
Dr S M Honakeri, District Health Officer, acknowledged that although these numbers are encouraging, India still has a low donation rate—just 0.65 donors per million population. To address this, over 300 awareness camps were held in Dharwad in the past 10 months, contributing to the record pledges.
Karnataka has outpaced all other South Indian states, registering 38,412 donors, with Andhra Pradesh (8,502), Telangana (14,514), Tamil Nadu (10,516), and Kerala (6,132) trailing behind. In comparison, urban hubs like Bengaluru Urban recorded 2,654 registrations, while many rural districts lagged, prompting the health department to intensify zone-wise awareness drives and campaigns.
Dr Honakeri highlighted the four types of donations — deceased, living, tissue, and paediatric — noting that one donor could potentially save up to six lives. The state also plans to honour donors through a felicitation by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to further encourage participation.
To register, visit notto.abdm.gov.in and use your Aadhaar details.