Of the total organ donations in the State since 2013, those from Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) constituted a mere 4.02%. In sheer numbers, out of a total 670 donations, that was just 27, according to the official website of organ transplant network, Jeevandan. The maximum contribution was by private hospitals.
One of the reasons for fewer organ donations at government hospitals is the lack of round-the-clock transplant coordinators and high-standard ICUs, senior doctors suggest. Head of Nephrology at OGH, Manisha Sahay opined if transplant coordinators are available 24x7, the contribution of government hospitals to donor pool will increase.
Identifying donors
Under the Jeevandan cadaver transplantation programme, transplant coordinators are responsible for identifying potential organ donors and managing the whole process starting from brain death of a patient. “Currently, we have borrowed a coordinator under Jeevandan programme. OGH and Gandhi Hospital need the coordinators if the [organ donation] programme has to pick up,” said Dr Sahay said while delivering a talk on ‘Transplant scenario in a public sector hospital’, at Kidney Transplant conference held by KIMS Hospitals on Sunday here.
In fact, amendments to the Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994 states “no hospital shall be registered under this Act, unless the appropriate authority is satisfied that such hospital has appointed a transplant coordinator having such qualification and experience may be prescribed”.
High-standard ICUs
Specialist doctors have said that the standards of ICU at OGH have to be improved so that attendants of patients will not have any doubts regarding the quality and extent of treatment provided.
Head of Nephrology department (Unit-1) at NIMS, Taduri Gangadhar also acknowledged that one of the reasons for few organ donations from government hospitals is lack of required number of ICUs. If ICUs are available, he said, best of the treatment can be provided to road accident victims.
Despite best measures, if the patient ends up brain dead, counsellors can convince the attendants to donate organs to needy patients.
“In the past five years, as many as 26 ICUs have been established in tertiary and secondary care (area hospitals, district hospitals) hospitals in the State,” Dr Gangadhar said.
‘Waive test charges’
Dr Sahay also mentioned that OGH patients, who hail from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, are sent to NIMS for immunological tests to test donor-recipient compatibility. However, money is charged for the tests which the patients are barely able to afford. She requested NIMS authorities and government officials to waive charges for OGH patients.
Speaking on the occasion, G. Swarnalatha, in-charge of Jeevandan programme pointed out that in 50% of the cases, when organs are allocated to OGH or NIMS, it is declined because recipients are not able to be traced, are unfit for transplantation or are suffering from some infection.
She urged specialists to follow-up with patients to avoid such scenarios.