India set to roll out national automated donor swap registry

National protocol mandates simultaneous transplant surgeries

The protocol has been shared with states and Union Territories for immediate nationwide rollout and matches donor-recipient pairs based on compatibility, making sure surgeries happen at the same time to avoid last-minute dropouts.
With legal approvals required within two weeks, things move faster for patients.

The hope is this will add 3,000 to 4,000 extra kidney transplants every year, much needed since chronic kidney disease affects about 16% of Indian adults and current transplant numbers fall way short of demand.