Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday, 12 August felicitated three state-run hospitals at the Cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar, honouring their national recognition for organ donation and transplantation. The awards, originally conferred at the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day ceremony held on 3 August at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, were presented to the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers by Minister of State for Health Praful Pansheriya.

Which Hospitals Were Recognised and for What

Three Gujarat government hospitals received national honours across distinct categories. The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad was awarded the 'Excellence in Leading Government Hospital in Organ Transplantation' award. Ahmedabad Civil Hospital was recognised as the 'Best Non-Transplant Organ Retrieval Centre (NTORC)'. New Civil Hospital, Surat received the national 'Best Brain Stem Death Team' award for its timely identification of brain stem death cases, counselling of donor families, and adherence to scientific protocols.

Key Numbers Behind the Awards

IKDRC performed 597 organ transplants during 2025, comprising 502 kidney, 86 liver, and nine pancreas transplants. Of these, 380 patients received free transplantation under the PM-JAY scheme. Notably, 34% of patients treated at IKDRC were from outside Gujarat, underscoring the institute's national reach.

Ahmedabad Civil Hospital retrieved 171 organs and 34 tissues from 48 deceased donors out of 104 recorded brain stem death cases during 2025-26. The Brain Stem Death Team at New Civil Hospital, Surat, certified 82 brain stem death cases in the same period.

What the Government Said

Minister Pansheriya attributed the state's performance to coordinated efforts between the Health Department, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) Gujarat, and government hospitals, along with the deployment of advanced medical technology. Chief Minister Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and the full Council of Ministers commended the Health Department's work and congratulated the medical teams involved.

Pansheriya also paid tribute to the families who consented to organ donation in the midst of grief. 'Their inspiring decision has given a new lease of life to many people,' he said, calling posthumous donation 'among the noblest forms of donation.' He urged citizens and doctors across Gujarat to raise awareness and ensure that no viable organ from a brain-dead person goes to waste.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

This recognition comes as Gujarat continues to expand its deceased-donor organ transplantation network — a push that has seen the state emerge as one of India's more active hubs for government-sector organ retrieval. The awards highlight a growing institutional capacity that extends care well beyond state borders, with over a third of IKDRC's patients travelling from other states. Sustained investment in brain stem death certification and donor family counselling will be critical to maintaining this trajectory.