Jeevandan to introduce hand transplantation services in Hyderabad soon

HYDERABAD: Amid increasing demand, the govt's organ donation flagship programme Jeevandan is set to introduce hand transplantations this year. Deliberations are also underway to include pancreas transplantation.According to sources, three hospitals, including Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and Osmania General Hospital (OGH), had approached the govt to offer hand transplant services. It would initially be encouraged in NIMS followed by other govt hospitals and medical colleges, following protocols adopted in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, in Telangana, the process is yet to be included in the organ donation programmes. Hand transplants are considered among the rarest and most complex transplant procedures in the world, requiring highly specialised surgical teams and long-term rehabilitation.A senior doctor with knowledge of the matter said that Jeevandan has been urging govt hospitals to actively participate as organ retrieval centres. "It happens frequently in other states. NIMS, Osmania and some pvt hospitals are not registered so far. Doctors approach us. Once we start doing it, it will happen more. Each organ donation can potentially save up to eight lives, yet a significant number of organs go unused," the doctor added."At least 2-3 hospitals approached us to take up hand transplantation, including the plastic surgery departments of NIMS and Osmania Hospital. We have not registered any patient so far," he said.In 2025, Telangana had emerged as a national leader in organ donation, recording 205 deceased (cadaver) donations under the Jeevandan programme. This achievement represents a significant milestone, with an organ donation rate exceeding five per million population (pmp), far above the national average of 0.8 pmp. These donations enabled the transplantation of 758 organs and tissues, including 291 kidneys, 186 livers, 95 lungs, 32 hearts, and 154 corneas.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 4 crore, our performance is encouraging," he observed.India has emerged as a global leader in hand transplantation, performing over 70 hand transplants due to more accidents and population, the highest number worldwide, while globally fewer than 200 such procedures were carried out so far. Dr Gopinath Bhandari, hand and micro surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, said hand transplantation is one of the rarest and most complex transplants, as it involves a composite tissue graft rather than a single solid organ. "Unlike heart, kidney, or liver transplants, a hand transplant includes bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, skin, and tendons, each behaving differently. The hand has nearly 25 muscles, all of which must be repaired, making it a highly time-consuming and demanding procedure. In our hospital, 15 patients have been registered for hand transplantation, some with single-hand loss and others with bilateral amputations," he added. The cost of upper-limb prostheses ranges from approximately ₹60,000 to ₹40 lakh, depending on the type and technology usedDoctors also highlighted the limitations of upper-limb prostheses, noting that they often feel heavy even when lightweight, leading to poor usage. "Unlike lower-limb prosthetics, hand prostheses lack sensation, which makes functional use difficult. Hands are the eyes of the upper limb—without sensation, function is incomplete," Dr Bhandari added.