Nearly 5,000 patients await Kidney transplants in Karnataka amid growing demand
Bengaluru: Nearly 5,000 patients in Karnataka are currently on the waiting list for kidney transplants, highlighting a widening gap between demand and availability of donor organs in the state. According to data from the Health and Family Welfare Department, 4,922 patients were registered for kidney transplants as of December 2025, even as only about 300 such procedures were carried out during the year.
A detailed report published by Deccan Herald noted that the waiting list for other organ transplants is far smaller in comparison. As per official data, 698 patients are registered for liver transplants, 118 for heart transplants and 44 for lung transplants. In 2025, kidney donations from 150 donors benefited around 300 recipients, while 161 livers, 49 hearts and 29 lungs were donated. Despite this, patients seeking a kidney transplant often face a waiting period of two to three years.
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Doctors and health officials have attributed the rising pressure on the transplant system to the sharp increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which are major causes of chronic kidney disease. These conditions not only add to the number of patients requiring transplants but also reduce the pool of eligible donors.
D. P. Arun Kumar, programme officer of Jeevasarthakathe, the State Organ Tissue and Transplant Organisation under the Health and Family Welfare Department, told Deccan Herald that uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension significantly limit donor eligibility. He said individuals with these conditions, or with existing kidney damage, cannot donate kidneys. In addition, blood group compatibility and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) matching further restrict donor options. He explained that while a complete HLA match is generally expected only among parents or siblings, mismatches can be managed through immunosuppressive therapy.
Unlike liver transplants, where allocation is based on the severity of illness, kidney transplants in Karnataka are allotted according to the seniority of registration. Arun Kumar said this system is followed because patients can be sustained on dialysis until a suitable kidney becomes available.
To reduce the financial burden on patients, the state government provides assistance to economically weaker sections. Below Poverty Line card holders are eligible for ₹2 lakh towards transplant costs and ₹1 lakh annually for post-transplant care, applicable in both government and private hospitals. Free kidney transplant services are currently available at the Institute of Nephro Urology at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru and at KIMS Hubballi, with plans underway to extend the facility to KR Hospital in Mysuru.
Dr Kristina George, consultant nephrologist and renal transplant specialist, said that although there has been some improvement in public willingness to consider organ donation, India still lags far behind global standards. She pointed to mistrust in healthcare systems, lack of awareness and religious concerns as major reasons families hesitate to consent to deceased organ donation. She noted that this year alone, 13 families declined consent despite donors being medically eligible.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the government is planning to introduce structured transplant counselling for families of the deceased in government hospitals, with the aim of improving consent rates and strengthening the organ donation programme in the state.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
