Ivory Tower: Fortis doctors urge families to pledge cadaver organ donation, save lives

i n a bid to raise awareness about the critical need for organ donation, two leading doctors from Fortis Hospital, Mohali, are emphasising the importance of cadaver organ donation. Dr Sahil Rally, Consultant in Kidney Transplant and Dr Milind Mandwar, Associate Consultant in Liver Transplant, are spearheading an initiative to highlight the life-saving benefits of this often-overlooked medical process. As part of their awareness drive, they have been visiting various locations, including a recent stop in Hoshiarpur.

Cadaver organ donation involves the transplant of organs from a brain-dead patient, typically one who has suffered a traumatic brain injury or degenerative disease. The process of determining brain death is both rigorous and thorough. A Brain Death Committee, comprising four specialised doctors, assesses the patient for signs of irreversible brain damage, including the absence of brainstem reflexes and unresponsiveness. This process involves a mandatory six-hour waiting period between assessments to confirm brain death.

Dr Rally and Dr Mandwar, each with over five years’ experience in complex organ transplant surgeries, have been at the forefront of this awareness campaign. They noted that India’s cadaver organ donation rate remains under one per million—drastically lower than countries such as the United States and Spain, which report 26 and 35 per million, respectively.

“Organ donation is one of the most profound acts of generosity. While many are willing to donate, a lack of awareness and education about the process limits the donor pool,” said Dr Rally. “A key to improving outcomes is the careful selection of both donors and recipients.”

He also called for greater involvement of trauma and neurological centres to improve donation rates. According to Dr Rally, increasing awareness among the medical community and the general public is vital to narrowing the gap between organ demand and availability.

Dr Mandwar highlighted the urgent need for liver transplants, pointing out that liver failure is a leading cause of death in India, with more than 400,000 patients dying each year due to organ shortages. “Liver transplant is often the only treatment option for patients with end-stage liver failure. The need for donors is immense, and through raising awareness and urging individuals to register as organ donors, we hope to save more lives,” he said.

Fortis Hospital, Mohali, has successfully carried out 10 cadaver transplants. A recent case demonstrates the transformative power of organ donation: a 46-year-old patient declared brain dead after an acute haemorrhagic stroke was able to give others a second chance at life. Two weeks after his diagnosis, the family expressed their wish to donate his organs. Following formalities by the Brain Death Committee, the organs were retrieved and transplanted.