Despite Tamil Nadu leading the way nationally in organ donation for several years, and Tiruchi itself emerging as a regional hub for healthcare and medical research, the city still lags behind others in awareness about organ donation and transplant surgery, say doctors here.
Speaking to The Hindu on the eve of World Organ Donation Day being observed today, M.A. Aleem, neurologist and epileptologist, said: “The negative attitude towards organ donation is driven by religious beliefs and perceived risks to the donor,” he said.
Added ophthalmologist Shibu Varkey: “Tiruchi has a number of multispecialty hospitals and accident and trauma care centres, yet the number of organ donations is relatively low compared to cities such as Chennai or Mumbai.”
Cornea is the most commonly transplanted tissue in the city, according to Dr. Varkey, with around 150 to 200 transplants, followed by kidney. “Other organs such as liver and heart have yet to pick up though liver transplant has just started,” he added.
Legitimate programmes The Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, prohibits any commercial dealings in organs and makes this a punishable offence. However, with the demand for organs greater than the supply, the risk of malpractice was high in this sector.
At present, the cost of a kidney transplant surgery was in the range of Rs. 3.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh while a heart surgery can cost up to Rs. 20 lakh, and liver transplant, Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 40 lakh.
It would be better for the government to fix the price of transplant procedures to discourage organ trafficking, said Dr. Aleem.
Counselling family members of the terminally ill and preparing them mentally to consider organ donation is an essential service that most healthcare providers in the city should add on, said Dr. Varkey.
“Networking of organ and tissue banks is needed to be able to provide organs and tissue at least at regional level and eventually national level,” he said.
Myths versus fact There are two types of organ donation: live and cadaveric.
Live donation involves the patient receiving organs from a close friend or relative; cadaveric involves the harvesting of organs from a registered donor after his or her death.
Contrary to popular belief, organ and tissue harvesting from deceased donors doesn’t disfigure the body, says Dr. Aleem. “Organ and tissue retrieval is performed by highly skilled health professionals. The donor’s body is always treated with dignity and respect and the family can still have an open casket viewing if desired,” he said.
Perseverance pays off
At the age of 10, Margaret Paul knew that something was wrong with her eyes when she misplayed the notes of a very familiar piece of classical music despite being a distinction-level student of the piano. But she would have to wait till she was in her mid-20s by the time her problem was treated.
Ms. Paul, now 61, spent her early childhood in Mumbai where her father Balraj Thomas was a ground engineer for Air India in the 1960s. The piano-playing fiasco was the first indication of her rapidly failing eyesight. “Nobody was able to diagnose my problem, despite our visits to all the leading hospitals,” Ms. Paul told The Hindu, explaining their decade-long search for a solution. “The last resort was to go to the United Kingdom, even though it was a costly option.”
Determined to consider marriage only after she had been treated for her defective vision first, Ms. Paul nevertheless continued to pursue a career, as a school teacher in Chennai in the 1970s, even though her vision was near zero by now.
Ms. Paul was advised by Ms. Sundari Ganesan, the warden of her working women’s hostel, to visit the Agarwal Eye Clinic in Chennai as one last attempt. That suggestion proved to be providential.
On her very first visit, Dr. Kusum Agarwal diagnosed Ms. Paul’s problem – keratoconus, a progressive eye disease in which the normally round cornea thins and begins to bulge into a cone-like shape. The only treatment for it is corneal transplantation.
Dr. Kusum had Ms. Paul registered for surgery, and the operation on her right eye was performed on February 4, 1978, using the eye of a Sri Lankan donor. If that was an exhilarating experience, something more significant was afoot – Margaret had received a marriage proposal at 5 a.m. (a few hours before the surgery), from the family of J. J. Paul, for their son Roopkumar Paul.
After a brief period of being in hospital in Chennai, Ms. Paul left for Thanjavur to recuperate. Meanwhile, her future parents-in-law confirmed their desire to formalise the proposal with an engagement ceremony on May 15, 1978.
Going to Chennai to invite Dr. Kusum for the function on May 13, Ms. Paul and her father had yet another surprise waiting for them. The hospital had obtained the eyes of a teenager from Coimbatore who had died on the operating table during heart surgery, one of which was deemed ideal for Ms. Paul.
Dr. Kusum persuaded both families to reschedule the engagement to May 14, but at an unusual venue: the Agarwal Eye Clinic, where a small ceremony was held for close friends and relatives, a few hours before the surgery.
“As the rest of the family and friends enjoyed their biryani, I was wheeled into the operation theatre to receive the gift of eyesight,” said Ms. Paul, whose marriage was held on December 28, 1978. Mr. Roopkumar Paul, who had served with several social welfare organisations abroad before deciding to settle down in Thanjavur, died in January 2014.
Margaret Paul remains thankful to her donors, her family and her in-laws and most importantly, to her late husband, who encouraged her to overcome her impairment at her own pace.
Ms. Paul’s right eye was operated on for cataract removal. Her vision remains stable, so much so, that she has learned to knit recently. “Today, I realise what a precious and valuable gift we can give to humanity when we donate our organs,” she said.
Corrections & Clarifications
This article has been edited for a factual error.
