Keywords
Kidney Transplant
Transplant Coordinator
Grief Counselling
Organ Donation
Categories
How to Cite
Abstract
This qualitative single case study explores the various roles and functions of social workers as kidney transplant coordinators within Kerala’s organ transplantation ecosystem. Drawing on an in-depth interview with a Master of Social Work graduate employed as a kidney transplant coordinator in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, the study examines how they navigate both living donor and deceased donor transplantation pathways. The findings of the study reveal that the role of coordinator extends far beyond administrative duties to include grief counselling, pre- and post-surgical counselling, crisis intervention, legal navigation, ethical adherence and prolonged psychosocial care. The study situates these practices within regulatory frameworks of The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, and Kerala’s Mrithasanjeevani programme, highlighting various social work competencies that are foundational to successful organ donation outcomes. The findings argue for central positioning of social workers in advancing the organ donation ecosystem of India.
References
1. Bikbov, B., Purcell, C. A., Levey, A. S., Smith, M., Abdoli, A., Abebe, M., & GBD Chronic Kidney Disease Collaboration. (2020). Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet, 395(10225), 709–733. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)3004
2. Jeemon, P., et al. (2025). CKD in indigenous populations in Kerala, India. *Kidney International Reports*, 10(3), 456–467.
3. Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation. (2022, September 24). Mrithasanjeevani DDMOT program name. https://ksotto.kerala.gov.in/mrithasanjeevani/
4. Kumar, M. (2013). Role of social worker in cadaver organ donation and transplant coordination—A single centre experience. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, 1(2), 101–104. https://doi.org/10.13189/ijrh.2013.010203
5. Lam, D. Y., Krishnan, A. M., Schaubel, D. E., & Gill, J. S. (2018). Patient survival and treatment failure on dialysis: Impact of expanded criteria donor transplantation. American Journal of Transplantation, 18(6), 1421–1430. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajt.14726
6. Lok Sabha. (2025). *Unstarred Question No. 4649: Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease*. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
7. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. (2014).
8. Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA): Revised rules and forms. Directorate General of Health Services.
9. Minz, M., et al. (2005). Prospective psychosocial evaluation of related kidney donors: Indian perspective. Transplantation Proceedings, 37(6), 2577–2578.
10. National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). (2019). Guidelines for transplant coordinators in India. Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
11. National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). (2021). National course curriculum for transplant coordinators. New Delhi: Directorate General of Health Services.
12. Press Information Bureau, Government of India. (2025, November 20). India registers landmark progress in organ donation & transplantation. New Delhi: PIB.
13. Rajesh, A., et al. (2024). A qualitative study exploring barriers and facilitators in deceased organ donation process among transplant coordinators in India. Scientific Reports, 14, 80290. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-80290-9
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 South India Journal of Social Sciences