Uttar Pradesh, with over 200 million people, performed only 2,016 transplants. Bihar completed 110, Chhattisgarh 478, and Odisha 745.
Published Dec 14, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 14, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Representative image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: 65% of 957 heart transplants in the 5 years (2020-24) occurred in southern states, led by Tamil Nadu (332). Meanwhile, 1,695 await hearts and 82,285 wait for all organs nationally; 2,805 died waiting. Telangana tops lung transplants, yet many northern states recorded zero procedures, exposing a stark regional divide in life-saving care.
A patient needing a heart transplant in Chennai stands a far better chance of survival than one in northern cities. South Indian states performed 622 of India’s 957 heart transplants between 2020 and 2024, accounting for 65 percent of all such procedures nationally, according to data tabled in Rajya Sabha on 9 December.
Tamil Nadu alone conducted 332 heart transplants during this period, more than any other state. Karnataka followed with 154 procedures, while Telangana completed 111. Kerala managed 25 and Andhra Pradesh 16.
The concentration leaves patients in most other states facing grim odds. Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh recorded zero, two, and zero heart transplants respectively over five years. Delhi performed 53, Gujarat 98, and Maharashtra 121.
However, as of 8 December, 2025, 1,695 patients waited for heart transplants across India. Six states account for most listings: Maharashtra (341), Tamil Nadu (345), Karnataka (348), West Bengal (135), Rajasthan (113), and Telangana (48).
Most states show zero heart patients on waiting lists because they never started heart transplant programmes.
The ministry’s data comes from hospitals reporting to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation portal, according to Shri Prataprao Jadhav, minister of state in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Beyond hearts, 82,285 patients waited for organs on 8 December, 2025: 60,590 for kidneys, 18,724 for livers, 970 for lungs, and 306 for pancreases.
Maharashtra carries the heaviest burden with 20,553 patients, nearly one-quarter of the national total. The state performed only 7,514 transplants between 2020 and 2024.
Gujarat holds 9,592 patients on waiting lists but completed 4,646 transplants over five years. Delhi lists 8,853 patients against 15,750 transplants, the highest in India. Tamil Nadu shows 9,166 waiting against 10,098 completed.
Between 2020 and 2024, 2,805 patients died while waiting for organs. Delhi recorded 1,425 deaths, Maharashtra 297, and Tamil Nadu 233.
The minister provided the state-wise death figures in response to Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal’s question.
Haryana reported 215 deaths, Madhya Pradesh 169, Uttar Pradesh 150, and Telangana 113. Its hould be noted that these figures capture only registered patients.
In 2024, the system registered 15,508 living donors against 1,128 deceased donors. The pattern held across five years: 61,417 living donors versus 4,071 deceased donors, totaling 65,488.
Total donors climbed from 6,812 in 2020 to 16,636 in 2024.
“To facilitate citizens to pledge for organ and tissue donation, a dedicated web portal is functional through which till now more than 4.5 lakh Aadhaar verified pledges have been registered since 17 September, 2023,” the minister said.
Between 2020 and 2024, Delhi performed 15,750 total transplants, Tamil Nadu 10,098, Maharashtra 7,514, Kerala 6,235, and Telangana 5,566. Karnataka completed 3,611, Gujarat 4,646, and West Bengal 4,439.
Uttar Pradesh, with over 200 million people, performed only 2,016 transplants. Bihar completed 110, Chhattisgarh 478, and Odisha 745.
Thirteen states and union territories recorded zero transplants: Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim.
Telangana performed 319 lung transplants between 2020 and 2024, the highest in India. Tamil Nadu followed with 260, Karnataka with 74, and Maharashtra with 66.
Only 970 patients nationally wait for lungs. Tamil Nadu lists 315, Telangana 171, Karnataka 163, and Maharashtra 162. These four states account for 811 of the 970 waiting.
India performed only 130 pancreas transplants between 2020 and 2024. Chandigarh leads with 51, followed by Maharashtra with 25, Karnataka 15, and Tamil Nadu 13.
Only 306 patients wait for pancreases nationally. Chandigarh lists 125, Maharashtra 81, Tamil Nadu 38, and Karnataka 22.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, doctors performed 1,37,761 corneal procedures. Tamil Nadu leads with 16,353, followed by Telangana (15,335), Delhi (12,727), Karnataka (11,092), and Maharashtra (11,081).
“At present waiting list of patients requiring corneal transplants is not maintained centrally,” the minister stated.
“The number of corneal transplants (Keratoplasty) performed during the period from year 2020-21 to 2024-25, as compiled and reported by the States to the National Program for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment is placed.”
The government allocated Rs 23.88 crore for transplant programmes and awareness activities from 2021-22 to 2025-26. Maharashtra Puducherry received the highest allocation at Rs 3.11 crore, followed by Puducherry at Rs 3.33 crore and Uttar Pradesh at Rs 2.96 crore.
Several states with active transplant programmes received zero central funding: Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi.
“NOTTO along with Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations, State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations organize awareness programs across the country to disseminate information to promote organ and tissue donation engaging with various stakeholders,” the minister said.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
