Rajasthan's Cadaver Kidney Transplant Crisis Deepens as Patients Seek Treatment in Gujarat
In a stark revelation of healthcare challenges, Rajasthan has recorded a mere two cadaver kidney donations so far in 2026, leaving at least 899 patients stranded on the state's organ transplant waiting list. This severe shortage has compelled numerous families to seek life-saving transplants in neighboring Gujarat, where the organ donation system is perceived as significantly more active and efficient.
Families Face Financial and Emotional Devastation Amid Transplant Delays
The prolonged wait for cadaver transplants, coupled with critically low deceased organ donations, has created a dire situation for kidney patients across Rajasthan. Many are now relocating to other states, primarily Gujarat, in desperate attempts to secure timely medical interventions. This exodus highlights systemic failures in Rajasthan's organ donation infrastructure, despite over a decade since the program's inception.
A poignant example is forty-year-old Ashok Sharma from Phagi in Jaipur district. After enduring multiple failed transplants, Sharma underwent a successful cadaver kidney transplant at an Ahmedabad hospital in September 2025. His medical journey began in 2011 with a kidney transplant from his mother at a private Jaipur hospital, which unfortunately failed. In 2013, his father donated a kidney, but that transplant also failed in 2021 following Sharma's contraction of Covid-19.
"In Rajasthan, cadaveric organ transplant has still not taken off despite more than 10 years since its launch," Sharma lamented. His wife and sisters were willing donors but were not compatible matches. The financial toll has been catastrophic, forcing the family to sell land and part with his wife's jewelry to sustain medical care since 2011.
Policy Changes Offer Limited Relief as Waiting Lists Grow
Another case underscoring this crisis involves 55-year-old Shalu Vig from Bikaner. She was registered on the kidney recipient waiting list at Ahmedabad's IKDRC in September 2023 and finally received her transplant on January 4, 2026. However, many others continue to wait in uncertainty.
Mahesh Dewani from Bikaner is currently residing in Ahmedabad while his wife, Bhavna Dewani, undergoes regular dialysis. Registered on the kidney recipient waiting list in June 2023, she holds position number 133. "We do not have any live donor. We are waiting for cadaveric organ donation to come through for her transplant. In Rajasthan, the waiting list is very long and donations are not happening," Dewani explained.
A significant policy shift occurred in 2022 when the Centre amended regulations, allowing patients to register on transplant waiting lists in any state across the country, rather than being restricted to their home state. This change has become a crucial lifeline for many Rajasthan residents, providing them with alternative options amidst the local organ donation stagnation.
The ongoing crisis raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of organ donation awareness campaigns and logistical support systems within Rajasthan. As patients increasingly migrate to Gujarat for transplants, healthcare disparities between states become more pronounced, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reforms to bolster cadaver donation rates and streamline transplant processes in Rajasthan.
