The city recorded its eighth cadaver donation on Monday, setting the record for the highest number of donations made in a month. Medical professionals welcomed this step and asked for coordination from city hospitals to spread awareness.
This was the fourth consecutive donation in the week, and saved lives of two people who were in dire need of the transplant.
The donor, a 35-year-old male and a resident of Mira road, was injured in an accident on the Borivali flyover. He was brought to Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital at 2.30 a.m. where he was declared brain dead.
From the donated organs — kidneys, eyes, liver and heart — the liver was split into two, part of which was given to a 30-year-old female patient who was suffering from Wilson’s disease at K.D. Ambani hospital, and the other half to a 46-year-old male patient at Jupiter hospital, Thane.
Dr. Rekha Barot, transplant coordinator at K.D. Ambani Hospital, told The Hindu that the number of cadaver donations recorded this month, “seem highest in quite some time; usually we receive around five to six donations in a month, and if we take overall donations into view, last year we received 45 donations whereas this year we have received 37 donations already.”
The donors also came from different economic backgrounds, with some belonging to lower income groups as well. A family of a 10-year-old boy also opted for cadaver donation and his organs saved lives of four patients. An official at Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC) said in the last three years, people are slowly opening up to the idea of cadaver donation and their misconceptions are clearing. He added that even public hospitals, whose contribution has remained scant in the past, are getting involved in the process.
Comparing Mumbai’s donations to that of other cities, Dr. Sujata Patwardhan, general secretary, ZTCC, said the numbers could be better if every hospital working in the city contributed to the process. “Of the 33 hospitals, there might be eight or 10 which are seriously involved [in cadaver donation]. If we compare the number of donations made in cities like Chennai, it is clearly noticeable that we can cross this mark of eight donations a month. We need more people to come forward and we need to make them aware about the same,” she said.
According to ZTCC’s records, there were 37 cadavers, 62 kidneys, 35 livers and 18 heart donations recorded in Mumbai this year. When taken together with figures for the state, 72 cadavers, 117 kidneys, 66 livers and 18 hearts were donated this year.
The writer is an intern at The Hindu
