Ahmedabad: Surat is way ahead of other Gujarat cities when it comes to heart donation, data released on the eve of World Heart Day on September 29 by Donate Life, an organisation that works for organ donation shows.
Surat has witnessed 36 heart donations since 2015 out of 47 such donations recorded in the entire state, followed by Ahmedabad with six, Vadodara with two, and one each in Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Jamnagar.
While organ donation has declined in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, growing awareness among people and Donate Life’s efforts have resulted in ten heart donations that have been recorded in Surat since last year.
Of the 36 heart donations from Surat, 22 were transplanted in Mumbai, seven in Ahmedabad, five in Chennai, and one each in Indore and Delhi.
Nilesh Mandlewala, president of Donate Life, said the number of heart and organ donations from Surat and other cities in Gujarat is on the rise, but the ratio is minuscule compared with the requirement.
“There are thousands of patients who are waiting for heart, kidney, liver, and other vital organs for several years. The current availability of donated organs is not enough, and our efforts are focused on creating greater awareness towards organ donation,” he said.
Apart from the 36 hearts, Donate Life has facilitated the donation of 404 kidneys, 170 livers, 18 lungs, eight pancreas, and 306 corneas donation, giving a new lease of life to 985 people.