Gujarat hospitals win three national awards for excellence in organ donation, transplantation

Gandhinagar, Aug 3 (AHN) Three government healthcare institutions in Gujarat have received national recognition for their work in organ donation and transplantation, with awards announced on Indian Organ Donation Day 2026 during the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day ceremony held at Dr B. R. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on Monday.

The honours recognise achievements in organ transplantation, organ retrieval and brain stem death management, highlighting the state's role in strengthening deceased organ donation programmes.

The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad received the 'Excellence in Leading Government Hospital in Organ Transplantation' award.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital was presented with the 'Best Non-Transplant Organ Retrieval Centre (NTORC)' award for its organ retrieval work from deceased donors, while New Civil Hospital in Surat was selected for the 'Best Brain Stem Death Team' award for its identification of brain stem death cases, counselling of families and adherence to clinical protocols.

Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya congratulated the medical teams and said the recognition reflected the state's continued efforts in organ donation and transplantation under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Sharing details of the achievements, the minister said: "IKDRC performed 597 organ transplants during 2025, comprising 502 kidney transplants, 86 liver transplants and nine pancreas transplants. Of these, 380 patients received free treatment under the PM-JAY scheme. Notably, 34 per cent of patients treated at the institute came from outside Gujarat, demonstrating its national standing in organ transplantation."

According to the Health Department, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital retrieved 171 organs and 34 tissues from 48 deceased donors during 2025-26 out of 104 brain stem death cases, allowing life-saving transplants for numerous recipients.

During the same period, the Brain Stem Death Team at New Civil Hospital in Surat certified 82 brain stem death cases, contributing to a more effective and timely organ donation process.

Pansheriya emphasised that the achievements reflected the coordinated efforts of the Health Department, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) Gujarat and government hospitals, supported by advanced medical technology and dedicated healthcare professionals.

Expressing condolences to the families of organ donors, the minister said: "Despite the pain of losing their loved ones, they made the noble decision to donate their organs. Their inspiring decision has given a new lease of life to many people."

Describing organ donation as "one of the greatest acts of humanity", he added: "It allows a person to give the gift of life even after death."

He appealed to citizens, hospitals and medical professionals across Gujarat to spread awareness about organ donation and work together to ensure that no organ from a brain-dead individual goes to waste.