A Bengaluru-based doctor successfully donated her kidney to an unrelated patient after a prolonged legal process, highlighting both the medical feasibility and regulatory complexity of altruistic organ donation in India.
Dr. Thankam Subramonian, a fetal medicine specialist in Bengaluru, voluntarily decided to donate one of her kidneys to a stranger without expecting any financial or personal benefit. She informed the hospital that she had no preference regarding the recipient and requested that the organ be given to any medically suitable patient selected by the transplant center.
Dr. Thankam had pledged to donate her organs after death in 2014 but later chose to pursue living donation because deceased organ donation rates remain low. She wanted to contribute while she was alive and medically fit.
However, because she was not related to the intended recipient, her application required approval from a hospital-based authorization committee under India’s transplant regulations.
Under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, organ transplantation involving unrelated donors requires strict scrutiny to prevent illegal organ trade and commercial transactions. Authorization committees review such cases to confirm that donations are voluntary and not financially motivated.
Dr.. Thankam’s request faced repeated rejection from the hospital’s authorization committee. The committee cited the absence of a familial or emotional relationship with the recipient and concerns related to regulatory compliance.
In response, she filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court, seeking legal permission to proceed with altruistic donation.
In December 2025, the Karnataka High Court ruled in favor of Dr Thankam and directed the hospital’s authorization committee to facilitate the donation process. The court noted that her request was voluntary, involved no compensation, and met legal requirements for organ donation. The court emphasized that voluntary, informed donation without financial incentive is permitted under Indian transplant law when ethical safeguards are satisfied.
The court instructed the committee to identify medically compatible recipients from the transplant waiting list and complete the process within a defined timeframe.
Following the court’s order, the hospital evaluated potential recipients based on medical compatibility. The first shortlisted patient was deemed medically unsuitable. The second candidate, a 56-year-old woman, met compatibility criteria and was approved for transplant.
The kidney transplant surgery took place on February 10, 2026, and doctors confirmed that the procedure was successful. Dr. Thankam did not know the recipient personally before the transplant.
Kidneys are among the most commonly transplanted organs. A healthy person can donate one kidney because the remaining kidney can usually maintain normal function. Transplantation offers patients with end-stage kidney disease better survival and quality of life compared with long-term dialysis.
Altruistic or non-directed donation, where donors give organs to strangers without personal ties, remains relatively uncommon in India due to regulatory safeguards designed to prevent organ trafficking. However, such donations can significantly reduce waiting times for patients in need of transplantation.
India faces a significant shortage of donor organs, with thousands of patients remaining on transplant waiting lists each year, highlighting the importance of ethically regulated living and deceased donation programs.
India’s Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act regulates organ removal, storage, and transplantation. The law aims to prevent commercial organ trade while allowing legitimate donations from both related and unrelated donors after proper authorization.
Authorization committees play a key role in evaluating unrelated donor cases to ensure ethical and voluntary donation.
