Jeevandan to Introduce Hand Transplant Surgery in Telangana Soon

 Hyderabad: The government’s organ donation initiative, Jeevandan, is set to introduce hand transplantation in Telangana this year. Officials said discussions are also underway to include pancreas transplantation, as the organ remains underutilised despite growing demand.

Prof. Dr Sree Bhushan Raju, nodal officer of the Jeevandan scheme, explained that the hand transplant procedure involves surgically removing a donor hand and transplanting it to a recipient, following protocols already in place in states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

“At least two to three hospitals have approached us to take up hand transplantation, including the plastic surgery departments of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and Osmania General Hospital,” he said. The programme will initially be encouraged in government hospitals and medical colleges.

Dr Raju added that Jeevandan is urging government hospitals to actively participate as organ retrieval centres. “Each organ donation can potentially save up to eight lives, yet a significant number of organs go unused,” he said.

He noted that Telangana crossed the 200-donor mark in 2025. While Tamil Nadu leads nationally with nearly 150 hospitals involved in organ donation, Telangana has fewer than 25. “Despite this, considering our population of around four crore, our performance is encouraging,” he observed.

Highlighting the need to avoid wastage of harvestable organs, Dr Raju stressed greater utilisation of organs such as the pancreas. “Many children with Type 1 diabetes are waiting for pancreas transplants. If we are unable to use them locally, they must be shared through the national portal. Pancreas transplantation should become a norm this year,” he said.