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A
high level workshop that included international and Indian stakeholders from
the field of organ transplantation met in Delhi over 3 days to discuss ways to
increase the deceased donation rate in the country and help overcome organ
shortage. A living person can only donate one of the two kidneys or a
part of the liver; however a person who is brain dead can donate almost nine
common organs and tissues. The current organ donation rate from deceased donors
range from 12 to 40 per million population in most developed countries whereas
in India it is below one at 0.16 per million population. However the pool
of brain death that can become possible organ donors is large in India and this
is due to the high rate of mortality due to road traffic accidents. The number
of brain deaths estimated from this pool alone is over 95,000.
The
topics covered in the programme ranged from the role of the Government organizations,
hospitals and NGO’s in establishment of the deceased donor programme in a
hospital and the medico-legal aspects related to the Transplantation of Human
Organs Act 1994 (THOA 1994) and its amendments. Specific stress was laid on
practical training by conducting role plays on grief counseling, public
education programmes, and documentation related to organ donation and
transplantation.
The
participating stakeholders at the workshop included The President from the
International Transplantation Society, Transplantation Representative from WHO,
Representative from Ministry of Health in India, Secretary of Indian
Society of Nephrology and Indian Society of Transplantation,
representatives of NGO called MOHAN Foundation, Senior Consultants in the
field of Transplantation from various states and Transplant Co-ordinators from
across the country. Participants equally represented both public and private
hospitals. The experienced faculty included eminent doctors from
established transplant hospitals of the country. The sharing of their
experiences during the interactive sessions provided valuable insights to the
delegates and provided reasons why the deceased donation programme was slow to
take off in India.
Dr. Jagdish Prasad, Director General, DGHS inaugurated the workshop
and gave the key note address. He congratulated the stakeholders and assured
them of his full support in giving a boost to the deceased donation programme
in the country. He particularly pointed out of the exemplary work being done by
MOHAN Foundation in the field. He emphasized the need for public
awareness and training the intensive care physicians across the country.
Dr. Francis Delmonico, President Elect, The Transplantation
Society, who presided over the function said that transplant coordinators in
India could become pioneers in creating an Asian Transplant Coordinators’
Organisation just like the one in Europe.
Dr Marti Manyalich President of Donation and Transplantation Institute,
Barcelona. emphasized the need for propagation of the Deceased Donation Pathway
and Brain Death audits in all ICU’s of hospitals registered as transplant or
retrieval centers.
The
workshop also provided opportunity and a forum for transplant coordinators to
meet, interact, share challenges and success stories and get a chance to update
their knowledge on deceased organ donation.
The
three day workshop after deliberating on various aspects of deceased donation
came out with consensus document of recommendations for the expansion of
deceased donation. It was unanimously resolved that the solution to organ
shortage and achievement of self-sufficiency in organ donation for all states
in India is possible only through systematic strengthening of the deceased
donor program.
Source-Medindia
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