Fewer people come forward to donate organs, says Oza

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Stating that fewer people come forward to donate organs, urologist Dr Umesh Oza, on Friday, said that myth and fear are the causes of dearth of organs in the country.

“There is a requirement of 1.5 lakh kidneys every year periodically for the patients of kidney failure. We need about 15,000 to 20,000 livers for people of liver failure and we need more than 50,000 hearts for people of heart failure. These people seek second life and want to live a good quality life,” said Dr Oza, who is the head of department of urology at Mumbai-based Bombay Hospital.

Speaking during the continuing medical education (CME) programme on ‘Organ donation, kidney transplant and kidney diseases,’ at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, he said that the success of transplantation has led to great expectations amongst the patients of heart, kidney and liver failure.

However, he said that the doctors and health services are failing as there is lack of organ donors in India.

“Organs are not to be taken to heaven. God knows. We need them here. Brain death is a death,” he said.

Dr Jai Parkash, professor of nephrology and dean of Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi and Dr Nararyan Prasad, professor of nephrology Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow also spoke on the occasion giving insight to the doctors and students of GMC on Cadaver Kidney Transplant-Organ Retrieval, and Kidney Transplant and Infection respectively.

The CME programme was organised by GMC’s department of nephrology headed by Dr J P Tiwari and department of urology headed by Dr Madhumohan Prabhudessai.