Karnataka Plans Organ Transplant Centres in 22 Medical Colleges - Video

The Karnataka government has announced plans to establish organ transplant and retrieval centres in all 22 medical college hospitals across the state. This expansion follows the recent allocation of Rs 1 crore to Victoria Hospital, affiliated with Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, to set up an organ transplant and retrieval centre.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the Karnataka government has announced the establishment of South India’s first Government Organ Transplant and Retrieval Centre in Bengaluru, stated Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development and Livelihood, Sharan Prakash Patil.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, speaking at a recent event organized by the Rotary Club of Organ Donation, stated that although a policy is already in place regarding organ retrieval centres in medical education institutes, its implementation remains lacking.

According to the health department, Karnataka currently has 28 Non-Transplant Human Organ Retrieval Centres (NTHORC), including some under the Department of Medical Education. Despite this, organ donation remains limited. Only 36 transplants took place over a three-year span from 2022 to 2024