Give the Gift of Life Fortis Escorts Okhla and National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) Raise Awareness on Organ Donation August Thirteen is World Organ Donation Day

‘Give the Gift of Life’ - Fortis Escorts Okhla and National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) Raise Awareness on Organ Donation -August 13 is World Organ Donation Day- 

 
-NOTTO officials and Top Transplant Clinicians share clinical insights, bust common myths, and highlight how awareness can inspire a culture of organ donation in India and turn critical waiting lists into second chances at life

New Delhi, August 12, 2026: On the eve of World Organ Donation Day 2026, Fortis Escorts, Okhla, in 
collaboration with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), hosted a joint 
press conference titled ‘Give the Gift of Life’. The initiative seeks to address India’s critical organ 
shortage, narrow the gap in deceased organ donation rates between India and Western nations, drive 
nationwide awareness and participation in deceased organ donation pledges.

The conference brought together prominent healthcare experts to address key challenges, share 
surgical breakthroughs, and outline strategies to build a culture of organ donation. The panel was led 
by Dr. Anil Kumar, Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), Ministry of 
Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India. Joining him from Fortis Escorts Okhla were Dr. Z.S. 
Meharwal, Chairman & Head, Adult Cardiac Surgery; Dr. Vivek Vij, Chairman, Liver Transplant & 
Hepato-Biliary Sciences; Dr. Sanjeev Gulati, Chairman, Nephrology; Dr. Pankaj Panwar, Additional 
Director, Urology and Dr. Vikram Aggarwal, Vice President & SBU Head, Fortis Escorts Okhla.

India continues to face a significant dearth in organ donation with organ donation rates remaining
below 1 per million population (PMP), contrasting sharply with Western countries such as Spain (~49 
PMP) and the United States (~22–26 PMP). Government data shows that 2,805 patients died while 
awaiting organ transplants between 2020 and 2024, while nearly 90,000 patients remained on the 
national transplant waitlist as of March 2026. Despite rising transplant numbers, deceased-donor 
organs account for only around 18% of transplants, underscoring the urgent need to expand deceased 
organ donation across the country. 

Speaking at the Press Conference, Dr. Anil Kumar, Director, National Organ and Tissue Transplant 
Organisation (NOTTO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India said, "India possesses 
world-class surgical expertise and state-of-the-art transplant infrastructure, yet thousands of precious 
lives are lost every year due to the critical shortage of deceased organ donors. A single deceased donor 
can save up to eight lives and improve the quality of life for dozens more through tissue donation. Our 
objective is to dismantle administrative hurdles, bust deep-seated myths surrounding brain death, and 
ensure that every citizen understands the life-saving impact of pledging their organs." 

Dr. Z.S. Meharwal, Chairman & Head, Adult Cardiac Surgery, Fortis Escorts Okhla said, “For patients 
living with end-stage heart failure, a heart transplant can represent the only path to a renewed life. 
Advances in transplant medicine, coupled with coordinated systems such as green corridors, have 
significantly strengthened our ability to move donor organs rapidly and safely from donor to recipient. 
Yet, the most critical link in this chain remains the availability of donated organs. We need to make 
organ donation a part of everyday conversations and encourage more people to register their pledge. 
Every donor has the potential to give another person a second chance at life. By building greater 
awareness and participation in organ donation, we can help ensure that fewer patients remain on 
waiting lists simply because a suitable heart was not available when they needed it most.”
 

Dr. Vivek Vij, Chairman, Liver Transplant & Hepato-Biliary Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, said, “India 
continues to carry a significant burden of end-stage liver disease, and living-donor liver transplantation 
has played a vital role in meeting the country’s transplant needs. At the same time, the field of liver 
transplantation is advancing rapidly, demonstrating how surgical expertise and technology can expand 
possibilities for patients. However, medical advances alone cannot address the underlying shortage of 
organs. There is an urgent need to strengthen awareness around deceased and living organ donation. 
A stronger culture of organ donation, alongside continued advances in transplantation, can help ensure 
that more patients with end-stage liver disease have access to a life-saving liver transplants.”
 

Dr. Sanjeev Gulati, Chairman, Nephrology, Fortis Escorts Okhla, said, “For a patient with advanced 
kidney disease, every day on dialysis can be a day of uncertainty, while a successful kidney transplant 
can offer the possibility of greater independence and a better quality of life. India has made remarkable 
strides in transplant medicine, but the demand for kidneys continues to far exceed the availability of 
suitable organs. The challenge, therefore, is not only to advance clinical capabilities but also to 
strengthen the ecosystem that makes transplantation possible.”
 

Dr. Pankaj Panwar, Additional Director, Urology, Fortis Escorts Okhla, said, “The future of 
transplantation is not defined by surgical innovation alone; it depends equally on society’s willingness 
to donate. For someone living with kidney failure, a transplant can mean freedom from lifelong dialysis, 
renewed independence and a second chance at life. Every donor has the power to turn an irreversible 
loss into hope for another family. I urge people not only to pledge their organs, but to speak to their 
families about that decision. Because when we donate, we do more than give an organ—we give 
someone the opportunity to live again.”
 

Dr. Vikram Aggarwal, Vice President & SBU Head, Fortis Escorts Okhla, said, " “India’s transplant 
ecosystem has come a long way, but the journey is far from complete. At Fortis Escorts, Okhla, having 
performed 23 heart transplants, we have witnessed first-hand how timely organ donation can transform a patient’s life and offer families a second chance at hope. As we mark World Organ Donation Day, alongwith NOTTO, our message is simple: the conversation around organ donation cannot remain within hospital walls. It needs to reach every home and community. More transplants must be matched by more awareness, more conversations and, ultimately, more organ donors stepping forward.