Cardiologists criticise Mah Govt's appeal for heart donation

Beed, Nov 22 (UNI) Many cardiologists here have criticised the recent appeal to the public by the health department of Maharashtra government for heart donation.

They said heart donation and heart transplantation is highly impossible in the rural areas of the state.

''The primary health centers and rural hospitals are fighting for basic infrastructure. They are unable to preserve vaccines. The district hospitals do not have any machinary to differ blood particals. Eye banks and blood banks are not available everywhere, then why is the goverment appealing for heart donation? In such a scenario, the state unit of National Rural Health Mission appealing for the heart donation is nothing but a joke and wastage of money,'' said Meera Gandhle, president of Beed Zila Parishad and Chief of district health mission.

''It is really shocking that the health department has appealed for heart donation after death. Though it is not impossible, it is not a common thing also. Heart can only be transplanted from one patient to another, if the patient is brain dead and his heart is in good condition. It is the rarest of the rare case,'' said Dr Anil Barkul, senior physician and heart specialist.

''Heart transplantation needs advanced equipment and highly skilled dotors. It is not possible in rural areas and also in almost Maharshtra,'' Dr P D Joshi, senior cardiologist in Beed, told UNI.

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