There are some gifts which are quite not wrapped nor celebrated, but they carry the power to change everything. Organ donation is one such gift of the 21st century -- a silent act of generosity gives another person a gift of life. Each year, in India, over 5 lakh lose their lives waiting for an organ transplant. The need is vast, especially for kidneys, livers and hearts. Yet, our organ donation remains the lowest in the world. This is not because of lack of skill or intent among the doctor fraternity. In smaller towns, even if there is willingness, the shortage of ICUs, transplant-ready hospitals and co-ordination lead to opportunities missed. Still there is reason to hope. States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have shown nothing is impossible. Tamil Nadu has consistently achieved a high deceased donor rate of 1.8 per million population, nearly seven times higher than the national average. The government needs to bring laws and awareness within the population for organ donation with a message that one donor can save eight lives.
