Organ Donation Awareness Drive
Ramaiah Memorial Hospital (RMH) hosted an Organ Donation Awareness Drive in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 11 September 2026. The programme brought together healthcare professionals, organ donors and their families, transplant recipients, patients, and members of the public to promote "The Gift of Life". Key attendees included Dr. Madan S. Gaekwad, Chief Operating Officer; Dr. M.R. Jayaram, Chairman of Gokula Education Foundation (Medical); Shri U.T. Khader, Hon’ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka; and Dr. Nagendra Swamy S.C., Chief Executive of RMH.
National Organ Donation Context
The drive was organised in response to a widening gap between organ need and availability in India. The country’s deceased organ donation rate remains below one donor per million population, compared with more than 48 per million in Spain. India recorded 20,138 transplants in 2025, of which approximately 82 % were from living donors. As of March 2026, more than 89,000 patients were on transplant waiting lists, a figure that far exceeds the current supply of organs.
Statements from Officials
Shri U.T. Khader emphasized that organ donation transcends relational and community boundaries and reaffirmed Karnataka’s commitment to strengthening deceased‑donation infrastructure across the state, noting that initiatives like RMH’s drive are vital for encouraging pledges. Dr. M.R. Jayaram highlighted the collective responsibility to build public awareness and trust around deceased donation, stating that each family’s participation brings the nation closer to closing the organ gap. Dr. Nagendra Swamy S.C. underscored that both living and deceased donations are reliable treatments for end‑stage organ failure and reiterated the hospital’s hope that the drive will inspire more citizens to pledge their organs.
Hospital Credentials and Milestones
RMH, established in 2004, is a 500‑bed, JCI‑, NABH‑ and NABL‑certified multi‑disciplinary super‑specialty quaternary‑care hospital in Bengaluru. It received the Joint Commission International (JCI) Gold Seal of Approval in June 2025, the American Heart Association (AHA) Comprehensive Chest Pain Center certification, and the American Stroke Association (ASA) Comprehensive Stroke Center certification in the same month. The Bone Marrow Unit and stem‑cell laboratory earned FACT accreditation, reflecting adherence to rigorous peer‑reviewed standards.
With more than 22 years of service, RMH has treated over five million patients and performed more than two lakh surgeries. Its transplant programme includes roughly 600 renal transplants, over 50 heart transplants, more than 210 bone‑marrow transplants, and the initiation of liver transplant services in 2025. The hospital is affiliated with Mount Sinai International, New York, since June 2024, a collaboration aimed at elevating clinical care, research, and technology. RMH was recognized by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals in 2025.
Objective of the Drive
Through the awareness drive, RMH seeks to encourage individuals and families to pledge organ donation, particularly from brain‑dead donors, to help bridge the critical shortage and give patients on the waiting list a genuine chance at life. The event reinforced the hospital’s long‑standing commitment to ethical transplant practices and donor awareness in Karnataka, supported by a multidisciplinary team of specialists dedicated to safe, high‑quality transplant care.