Doctors, patients pledge organs for the needy

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) A proactive attitude towards organ donation, including counselling, would save more lives as lack of awareness was the stumbling block, experts said today.

''A proactive attitude towards organ donation, counselling for relatives for organ donation in the event of brain-death and adequate hospital infrastructure can ensure that we convert the current programme to the level of those in the West,'' said Dr S N Mehta, Sr consultant, Transplant General Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

The hospital was celebrating the eighth anniversary of India's first successful liver transplant in 1998.

Fifty years ago, organ transplant was nothing more than a dream, but today with a fast improvement in transplant technology, solid organ transplantation has become a reality, he said.

According to Dr Mehta, the main problem arises due to less number of donors, mainly due to lack of awareness among the general public.

Also, apathy on the part of the doctors treating the patients and complexities in the law further make it difficult for the people to come forward to donate their organs.

People who are declared brain dead due to head injury, haemorrhage or stroke are immediately put on life support systems where all their vital organs are still functioning. The organs of such a person can help atleast ten people provided he has pledged to donate his organs or his relatives take a decision to do so, said Dr (Prof) Anant Kumar, who is Sr Consultant for Kidney Transplant Surgery.

''The Human Organ Transplantation Act has legalised the concept of 'brain death' for the first time in India. Since the passing of the legislation, it has become possible to undertake organ transplants from brain dead donors, Dr Kumar said.

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