NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force personnel are not only known for executing critical missions like Operation Sindoor but also for stepping up to save lives whenever the opportunity arises. A remarkable example of this was witnessed on Friday night when the Air Force played a crucial role in transporting human organs for transplantation.
With the support of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Air Force personnel successfully airlifted a liver and two kidneys from Pune’s Command Hospital to the Army Hospital Research and Referral (R&R) in Delhi. What makes this incident even more moving is that the organs belonged to a brain-dead soldier, whose family made the noble decision to donate them. Their selfless act gave new hope and life to patients in need.
Organ donation remains a significant healthcare challenge in India. According to Organ Donation India, around 500,000 people require organ transplants every year, yet only 52,000 organs become available. There is also a huge gap in cornea donations—200,000 are needed annually to restore vision to the blind, but only 50,000 corneas are donated.
In fact, three out of every four people needing a corneal transplant must depend on donations to regain their eyesight. In 2023, over 15,000 living individuals donated organs, with women contributing more than men. Additionally, the organs of approximately 1,100 deceased donors were also utilised. That year saw about 220 heart transplants, more than 13,000 kidney transplants, and approximately 4,500 liver transplants.
