12 January,2011 06:54 AM IST | | Priyanka Vora
Cadaver kidney transplants down drastically from 36 in 2009 tou00a020 in 2010; hospitals blamed for not identifying cadavers
The number of cadaver kidney donors has decreased drastically in the past two years in contrast to the 36 cadaver kidney transplants performed in 2009. Since 2010, only 20 kidney cadaver transplants have been performed.
What is even more a cause for concern is the limited participation on the part of public hospitals in identifying a cadaver (brain dead organ donor). Health experts suggest that brain dead patients are the best source for harvesting organs as one such patient can offer a new lease of life to eleven patients in critical need of various organs.
According to ZTCC chief, Dr Sujata Patwardhan, cadaver related transplants have decreased in the last two years (2009-2010), indicating that public hospitals are not playing an active part in cadaver identification.
She also said that some private hospitals, which were active in identification in 2009, have not identified a single cadaver in 2010 leading to further decrease in the number of cadaver transplants.
Public hospitals including, Sion hospital, KEM hospital and JJ hospital are registered with the Zonal Transplant and Coordination Committee (ZTCC), which coordinate between cadaver donor's relatives and waiting recipients.
While KEM has identified two cadavers and Sion one - totaling to three since 2009 - JJ hospital and Nair hospital did not identify a single cadaver.
According to the guidelines of cadaver donations, once cadavers are identified through cadaver donor compatibility tests, social workers play a significant role in convincing the family to agree for cadaver organ donation.
u00a0
Once the family agrees and the necessary paper work is completed, doctors proceed with harvesting of the organs from the cadaver patient and the organs can be transplanted to patients registered on the ZTCC list.
Medicos to blame
ZTCC chief, Dr Patwardhan, said, "Of the 27 hospitals registered with us, five or six are active in cadaver identification. Other hospitals are also registered with ZTCC, but none attended even one of our 16 seminars and meetings on cadaver transplants in 2010."
Private hospitals have contributed significantly identifying cadavers in comparison to public hospitals. The Fortis hospital, Mulund and Harkisondas hospital have identified five cadavers each in the last two years, while Nanavati and Jaslok hospitals have identified four and six respectively.
Dr Harshel Dodeja, Fortis hospital, Mulund, said, "The process takes 16-18 hours and needs motivated staff and social workers to convince the relatives."
The situation is not similar at private facilities; Bhatia hospital, Breach Candy and Godrej Memorial hospital in Vikroli have not identified a single cadaver in the last two years.
"After amendments are made to the existing law (The Organ Transplantation Law-1994), smaller centers will be recognized as non- transplant retrieval centres, which will help in identifying more cadavers," said Dr Patwardhan.
"There should be a clear mandate that if the recognized hospitals are not identifying cadavers they will also lose their recognition for performing live kidney transplants (where the patient's relative donates a kidney) this might motivate them to identify cadavers," said a senior official on condition of anonymity.
