The Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) will start multi-organ transplantation programme by January. This will be done in association with the Madras Medical Mission (MMM), Chennai, according to its director-principal James J. Gnanadoss.
A motorbike rally organised by Mohan Foundation, Chennai, which was flagged off from Chennai on September 9 to create awareness of organ donation, reached Puducherry on Friday. An interaction with the team was organised at PIMS.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Gnanadoss said that they also plan to conduct bone transplant, which would be beneficial in certain tumours .
“Under the programme, we can harvest organs such as heart, lungs, liver, kidney and pancreas from cadaver and carry out transplantation. A brain-dead patient can donate nine organs,” he said.
PIMS received one or two brain-dead patients every month, particularly young persons involved in road traffic accidents, Dr. Gnanadoss said. “The Union government will give its approval for the programme shortly. Government inspection will be in October. The programme requires technical support and know-how skills,” he said.
Dr. Gnanadoss also noted that counselling relatives of brain-dead patients for organ donation is a major issue, besides ethical norms. “We will comply with the norms laid out by the government,” he added.
Director of Health Dilip Kumar Baliga and professor of PIMS George Kurien were present.
