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The Healthcare Crisis: A Call to Action
India is facing a severe and often overlooked healthcare challenge - more than 7.8 million
individuals are living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). For many, kidney transplantation is the only effective treatment at the end stage of renal failure. Yet, it remains financially inaccessible to the underprivileged due to high out-of-pocket costs, limited insurance coverage, and inadequate infrastructure outside of major urban centers.
Government health schemes seldom cover the full spectrum of care, especially post-transplant
needs, and facilities in rural and two-tier cities are often unequipped for transplant procedures.
Our Proven Model: Project LIFT UP (April 2024 - April 2025)
In response to this crisis, the Rotary Club of Organ Donation, RID 3234 launched Project Lift Up in April 2024. (Lift Up stands for Life Increasing Funded Transplant for the Underprivileged.)
Through our partnership with Manipal Hospitals, Hebbal, Bengaluru, a premier institution in
transplant medicine, we successfully carried out:
• 8 life-saving kidney transplants for economically disadvantaged women.
• A comprehensive 3-year post-transplant care plan for all recipients.
• A transparent and sustainable model for long-term follow-up and sustainability.
The last transplant under this phase was completed in April 2025, and all patients continue to receive structured follow-up care.
Testimonies of beneficiaries - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39YDVLkoxzA
Why Women and Children as Beneficiaries?
During our field visits to dialysis centers and hospitals, we consistently heard from doctors,
social workers, NGO staff, and hospital personnel that more women suffer from kidney
disease than men, but few receive appropriate treatment. Reasons include:
• Reluctance or refusal by families to invest in the treatment of women.
• Societal norms that prioritize male health, as men are seen as 'breadwinners'.
• Scientific studies and field data confirm that men are disproportionately prioritized for
transplant treatment in low- and middle-income Indian households
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