Bengaluru doctor moves court, donates kidney to stranger
Illegal Kidney Transplant
Bengaluru: Setting an example of remarkable compassion, a Bengaluru-based doctor has successfully donated one of her kidneys to a stranger after securing approval from the Karnataka High Court. The case has drawn attention within the medical fraternity and otherwise, as it involved a living donor seeking to donate to a stranger under existing transplant regulations.
Dr. Thankam S, who works at Manipal Hospital, had registered as an organ donor in 2014. While organ pledges are typically intended for posthumous donation, she chose to pursue living kidney donation, expressing her willingness to help a patient in need even if there was no familial or personal connection.
According to a report by NewsFirst Prime, she decided in 2023 to donate her kidney to a 24-year-old patient whom she did not know. However, since the recipient was not a relative, the transplant could not proceed immediately due to regulatory provisions governing unrelated organ donations. The hospital management initially did not clear the procedure in view of these legal requirements. Determined to go ahead, the doctor approached the Karnataka High Court in June 2025, seeking legal approval to donate voluntarily.
After hearing the matter, the High Court approved in December 2025. It also directed the concerned authorities to provide a list of five eligible recipients within five weeks, ensuring transparency and adherence to transplant norms. While the first identified candidate was not medically compatible, a match was later found with a 54-year-old patient, who became the final recipient.
Official clearance for the transplant was granted on February 2, and the kidney transplant was successfully carried out on February 10. Following the surgery, both the donor and the recipient are reported to be stable and in good health.
The doctor stated that kidney donation had been a long-standing dream of hers and that she wanted to demonstrate that compassion and voluntary organ donation can make a real difference.
