The fourth day of one month training programme for the Transplant Coordinators started with an orientation on “Human Heart, its structure and functions” by Dr. Sumana. She presented the slides on heart functioning, heart diseases, and indications for heart transplantation, ECG, ECHO. The mechanism of CNS control of the heart, heart lung machine, composition of organ preserving solution, volume expanders were the points discussed at the end of the session.

Questions raised:

1. How does the artificial pace maker work?
2. Solution being used to paralyze the heart after retrieval for transplantation?
3. Concentration of the solution?
4. How long the organ can be preserved with the help of solution?
5. Difference between orthotopic and heterotopic heart transplantation

As a review of yesterday’s session on “Liver”, the trainees had a discussion on “Do alcoholics deserve an organ transplantation (Liver)?” The following points were discussed on this issue

1. Personal view of an alcoholic patient with liver cirrhosis waiting for liver transplantation
2. Should we maintain a separate waiting list for alcoholics?
3. Relapse among the alcoholics even after transplantation.
4.  Is it ok to discriminate against alcoholics with regard to transplantation?

Finally, the group had a discussion on the amendments of THO Act 1994.

-          Transplantation of Human Organs act 1994 - Transplantation of Human Organs and          Tissues Act

-          Required   request

-          Swap Donations

-          Near relatives extended – Grandparents and grandchildren

-          Transplant coordinators- licensed transplant hospitals

-          Involvement of NGOs

-          Penalties increased and imprisonment to be extended