The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Donor-population ratio low in India: K.M.Cherian

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Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Donor-population ratio low in India: K.M.Cherian

Special Correspondent

Super-specialty division of Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital opened

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

New facilities: Kazuo Minagawa, Consul General of Japan in Chennai, inaugurates the Super-specialty division at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital in Chromepet on Monday. K.M.Cherian, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Lifeline Hospital and S.Jagathrakshagan, Chancellor, Bharath University are in the picture.

TAMBARAM: Public awareness on organ transplantation is very low in the country, cardiologist and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Lifeline Hospital, K.M.Cherian said on Monday. Delivering the keynote address at an international conference on organ transplant and stem cell research at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital in Chromepet, Dr.Cherian said that the donor-population ratio in the country was among the lowest in the world. Pointing out that Spain had the highest number of donor population - at 31.5 for every one million people. India ranked very low in this list.

He pointed out to the prohibitive cost of procedure and the cost of immuno suppression therapies at present and also said that in order to have a turnaround in the scenario, there was a need for a greater role of philanthropic organisations, inter-institutional collaboration and better medical infrastructure.

Dr. Cherian called for better transportation and communication technologies. He added that organ transplant was not a “one man job” but involved participation of several specialists and individuals outside the medical fraternity, including counsellors and social workers.

He recalled that the first heart transplant in Chennai was performed in 1995 and the donor belonged to Chromepet. Hema Soundarrajan, a resident of Chromepet, was riding a cycle and while crossing the road she met with an accident. After she was declared brain dead, her husband, an employee of Southern Railway, and her relatives insisted that “she continued to live through someone else” through organ transplant. Consul General of Japan in Chennai Kazuo Minagawa, who inaugurated the super-specialty division of the hospital, including a MRI Scan, Cathlab and a Dialysis Unit on the occasion, described the city as India’s health capital. The country was becoming an important destination for medical tourism for people from United States, European and Middle East countries.

Even many Japanese, who had to put up with huge waiting time and high medical costs, were willing to come to India for medical care.

Among others who took part and spoke on the occasion include S.Jagathrakshagan, Chancellor of Bharath University, M.Tamilselvan, Cardiologist from Kuala Lumpur, M.S.Amaresan, Professor Emeritus, Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, C.Sivathasan, senior Cardio Thoracic Surgeon from Singapore, S.Vinayagam, Director of Medical Education, T.Kamal Sheriff, Director, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital and J.Sri Nisha and J.Laksmi Narayanan, Pro-Chancellors of the private university.

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