A critical issue plaguing India’s healthcare system is the alarming number of “silent deaths” occurring in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Experts, speaking during a press briefing on October 4, 2025, highlighted that most brain deaths are not officially certified, leading to a profound loss of potential organ donations.
Dr. Deepak Gupta, a neurosurgery professor at AIIMS, Delhi, who spearheaded a three-month national survey of physicians involved in organ donation, unveiled concerning findings. The survey revealed that less than half of the participating doctors had received formal training in brain death certification during their medical education. Furthermore, a mere 10% of doctors reported regularly training their residents in this vital procedure. Dr. Gupta stressed, “This represents a significant deficiency in India’s organ donation efforts. Without proper awareness and comprehensive training in brain death certification, our deceased organ donation rates simply cannot improve.”
These survey results were detailed in a research paper titled ‘Disparities in Brain Death Certification Knowledge among Indian Physicians Involved in Organ Donation,’ featured in the September-October issue of Neurology India. Among the 177 doctors surveyed, 96% demonstrated an understanding of the apnea test. However, nearly half neglected to screen for drugs or toxins—a crucial step for excluding reversible causes of a comatose state.
Sunil Shroff, a trustee at MOHAN Foundation, an NGO dedicated to advancing deceased organ donation in India, highlighted a stark discrepancy. Despite approximately 160,000 road traffic fatalities annually, the country registers only 1,000 to 1,200 organ donations each year. He explained that even when families are prepared to donate, a shortage of skilled counselors and trained intensivists often prevents successful donations. Shroff suggested that just as “green corridors” facilitate rapid organ transport between cities, hospitals urgently need streamlined “green corridors” within their own systems to simplify and expedite the donation process.
Dr. Mathew Joseph, a neurosurgeon from CMC, Vellore, underscored the significant challenge posed by unfamiliarity with brain death criteria. He observed that while general awareness of brain death has grown, practical training and a comprehensive understanding of the certification process have not kept pace.
The panellists collectively emphasized an urgent call to action: enhance public awareness, fortify brain death certification training for medical students from the outset of their education, implement regular refresher courses, and establish standardized, nationwide protocols for brain death certification—a domain currently suffering from severe oversight.