Dear Indian Express Readers,

A matter of life and death

India’s first organ transplant was performed more than 54 years ago, on February 2, 1971, at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. Last year, more than 18,000 transplants were performed in the country – the third highest after the US and China. Yet, only about 4 per cent of patients needing a liver, kidney, or heart transplant receive one. At less than 0.8 per million, India’s organ transplant rate compares very poorly with that of global leaders like Spain, where around 40 people in a million donate organs.

The country’s organ transfer law recognises donations by the patient’s close relatives — parents, spouses, and siblings. In the event that a near relative is medically incompatible with the recipient, the pair is permitted to

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