CHENNAI: When Professor Russel Walker Strong set out to perform the world's first partial liver transplant from a live donor in Brisbane in 1989, the Australian media went berserk. "I was accused of using babies as guinea pigs. Headlines identified me as the surgeon who was running amok," said Prof Strong. More than two decades later, he stood before an audience in Tamil Nadu , a state, that just didn't pioneer organ transplant in India but continued to lead the programme in the country .

In 2014, 155 deceased organ donors gave new life to more than 500 people in Tamil Nadu. This was the highest number of such donations the state saw since the cadaver transplant programme was initiated in 2008. It also saw the highest number of deceased organ donors on a single day when on February 15, the families of 19 people declared brain dead agreed to donate the organs of their kin.

Commending TN's effort at an event held in the city to mark the release of the state organ transplant authority's annual report, Prof Strong said the state had shown the way for the future of organ transplant in the country.

According to the report, kidneys formed the largest number of organs donated (275), followed by liver (147) and heart (52). "We were able to do this only because of the combined effort by the government, private hospitals, NGOs and police who conceptualised and enforced 'green corridors' to ensure there are minimal obstacles when organs are transported," said Dr Amalorpavanathan, convener, Cadaver Transplant Programme. Last year also saw the first small intestine transplantation in the state.

Most of the donors ranging from 21 to 50 years of age comprised 61% of the total donors. Doctors say this is probably because a majority of them are victims of road traffic accidents. Over 50% of brain death involves young people with head injury caused due to accidents on the road.

Health secretary J Radhakrishnan said the presence of grief counsellors in hospitals also helped improve organ donation figures, in addition to better awareness. "Families are able to take more informed decisions to donate organs now. That is heartening," he said. Around 13 donors in 2014 belonged to the 10-20 years age group, while 22 of them were above the age of 60.

Most number of donations came from the north zone consisting of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Vellore, followed by districts like Coimbatore, Erode and Salem. In Chennai, while Apollo Hospitals accounted for a third of the total donors, three other hospitals, including Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital and Global Hospitals accounted for 58% of the donors.