After a steep decline in organ donations in Telangana amid the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, things got back on track the following year and how! As per official data, the State recorded the highest number in 2021 with 162 persons donating their organs.
In 2020, when the novel coronavirus broke out, only 75 people had donated organs. The second highest of 160 donations were logged in 2018.
There were two features that made 2021 special with regard to organ transplantation in Telangana — lung transplantations increased by four times and skin transplantation was performed for the first time. In fact, Hyderabad has turned into a hub for organ transplantations, especially lungs, which are mostly performed at corporate hospitals.
The first transplantation of skin harvested from a brain-dead patient was performed at the State-run Osmania General Hospital.
The government’s Jeevandan-Cadaver Donation Programme was started in 2013 when 41 persons pledged their organs. The number gradually increased in the subsequent years. However, the COVID pandemic dealt a sharp blow to the programme. Donations dropped after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in March last year. The subsequent lockdowns restricted movement of people on roads, bringing down road accident rate and a corresponding drop in number of brain-dead patients from whom organs are harvested.
Though 2021 witnessed the deadly second wave, the rate of organ donations did not drop, barring in the months of April and May.
Factors for upsurge
In-charge of Jeevandan, G. Swarnalatha said increase in critical care infrastructure such as ICU facilities at hospitals and people becoming more concerned about other people’s lives are two factors which led to high number of donations.
“People have started attaching more value to life after COVID. They have become generous. In fact, some are coming forward to enquire if there is a possibility to donate organs,” said Dr Swarnalatha.
Raising awareness
Usually, counsellors from the programme convince the family members of brain-dead patients about the importance of organ donation. Jeevandan staff hold condolence programmes for donors at their respective native places to eliminate misconception in the minds of neighbours and others that the donation was made for some form of benefit.
Dr Swarnalatha added that such initiatives have helped raise more awareness about organ donation.
