Cadaver donation needs to be encouraged'

A DAY after a Chennai-based doctor was arrested by Mumbai Police for hisalleged role in a kidney transplant racket running through several states,medical practitioners in Mumbai felt the basic problem "is between thedemand and supply ratio".

According to doctors, for a patient with renal problem there are only three  alternatives - to secure kidney transplantation, to undergo dialysis for a lifetime or face death."Medically, a person lives longer with kidney transplantation as compared to dialysis. That might be a reason why people opt for transplantation," said Dr Umesh Oza, chairman, sub-committee (kidney) of the Zonal Transplant Co-ordination Centre, Mumbai.According to the law, organs can be donated by a related person or through cadaver donation. However, only 25 per cent of related persons are fit to donate organs to the patients."There is such a wide gap," says Dr Oza, "The problem with ca daver donationis awareness. People won't understand the meaning of brain death, unless there is widespread awareness.""If there are more donations after brain deaths, then this kind of illegalthings will reduce. That is exactly what we are looking at promoting through the zonal committee," said Dr Gustav Daver, vice president of the ZonalTransplantation Co-ordination Centre, Mumbai.

However, according to statistics, over the last ten years there have beenonly 500 to 800 cadaver dona tions in the country among the2,500to3,000transplantations. And at least one lakh persons need replacement treatment for their ailment."There a very big need for transplant with a tremendous shortfall. There are poor hapless patients and poor donors who could get involved in these activities which are illegal," said Dr Umesh Khanna of the Mumbai Kidney Foundation.

Publication : IE; Section : MN; Pg : 3; Date : 11/10/07
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