Panaji: The national organ and tissue
transplant organisation (
Notto) has approved the Goa medical college (GMC) and hospital, Bambolim, to be a state organ and tissue transplant organisation (
Sotto), paving the way for cadaveric transplants in Goa.
A GMC doctor said that the setup for cadaveric transplants would be ready in around eight months. The GMC will get financial assistance from the Notto for this. Even after the setup is completed, for two years after it’s commissioned, Notto will bear its cost.
Over the past few years, the Goa government has been trying to get GMC identified as a Sotto. Also on the cards is a laboratory for cross-matching of
blood samples at GMC. Though the hospital currently conducts kidney transplants, blood samples for cross-matching are sent to Mumbai.
“When we start cadaveric transplants here, we will need to have the entire laboratory setup for cross-matching of blood samples,” he said.
This past weekend, GMC conducted two kidney transplants after a break of over one-and-a-half year. A doctor said that the next logical step would be to start with liver transplants, and then, perhaps, pancreas transplants and heart transplants.
Goa sees approximately 300 deaths in road accidents annually. Thus, GMC could follow in the footsteps of states like Tamil Nadu and proceed with cadaveric transplants. “We must emphasis on cadaveric transplants as it is the need of the hour,” a doctor said.
A foundation stone was recently laid at GMC for a super-speciality block in the premises. All existing super-specialities will be moved there once ready. “The government had planned to start with liver transplants once the block is ready,” an official said.
Brain death:
· In 1994, the Government of India passed the Transplantation of Human Organs Act that legalized the concept of brain death.
· A deceased donor can donate kidneys, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart, intestinal organs.
· Brain death occurs when a person has an irreversible brain injury, which causes total cessation of all brain functions. It is not a coma or persistent vegetative state.
· In brain death, the brain dies but the heart continues to beat for a few hours or days and the vital blood supply to the organs is maintained.
· The diagnosis of brain death is based on simple bedside tests performed by a team of four doctors and repeated after 6 hours.
