Minister announces lab for organ donation at Wenlock | Mangaluru News
Mangaluru: Minister for health and family welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a satellite laboratory for complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) crossmatch during organ transplantation to assess the compatibility between a donor and recipient will be established at Government Wenlock District Hospital, with support from Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST).He was speaking at the Indian Organ Donation Day programme, organised by the health and family welfare department, in association with Dakshina Kannada district administration, zilla panchayat, and Yenepoya Medical College, on Friday. The minister said that blood samples are currently being sent to Bengaluru for CDC crossmatching during organ transplantation. Similar labs will also be set up in Mysuru and Shivamogga, he said.Emphasising the need to dispel misconceptions about organ donation and to encourage more people to come forward, the minister said that organ donation can save many lives as a brain-dead person can donate up to eight organs. “Families choose to donate the organs of their loved ones even during moments of immense grief. Such decisions are highly commendable, as it gives a new lease of life to others,” he said.The minister lamented that even when the demand for organs is rising, the availability remains limited. In Karnataka, 4,582 people are awaiting kidney transplants, 583 are registered for liver transplants, 133 for heart transplants, and 31 for lung transplants, he said. In 2024, 162 donors contributed 457 organs in the state. In 2025, up to July, 121 donors donated 326 organs. Karnataka ranks second in the country for organ donation, the minister said and announced that Karnataka will receive the ‘Best State in Promoting Organ Donation Excellence Award’ from the govt of India on Saturday. The Jeeva Sarthakathe coordinator from Hubballi-Dharwad will receive the ‘Best Coordinator Award’.The govt has decided to give priority to donors’ families if they require organ transplants in the future. All district govt hospitals will be strengthened to facilitate the retrieval of organs from brain-dead patients, he said. State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) – Jeevan Sarthakathe state coordinator Dr Ravishankar Shetty K noted that India witnesses 1.5 lakh accidental deaths annually, yet only about 550 organ transplants are performed.DHO Dr HR Thimmaiah, Dr Mallika B, divisional deputy director department of health and family welfare, Wenlock Hospital superintendent Dr Shivaprakash DS, Lady Goschen Hospital superintendent Dr Durgaprasad MR, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University) pro chancellor Dr BH Sripathi Rao, and others were present.
