‘Green Corridor’ for vehicles transporting organs

The participants of the awareness rally on organ donation organised by MOHAN Foundation pose beside a commemorative tree and special plaque put up 10 years ago to honour families of organ donors in Loyola College, Chennai, on September 9, 2009. Others seen are Dr. J. Amalorpavanathan, transplant coordinator, Cadaver Transplant Programme, Tamil Nadu, T. Rajendran, Commissioner of Police, Chennai (centre), Rev. A. Albert Muthumalai, Principal, Loyola College, and Dr. Sunil Shroff, Managing Trustee, MOHAN Foundation, (at right)

The Tamil Nadu police will provide a “Green Corridor” (non-stop thoroughfare) for vehicles transporting vital organs to any part of the State, Chennai Commissioner of Police T. Rajendran said on Wednesday.

“Police handle about 30,000 bodies, mostly of suicide and road accident victims, every year. By creating a network of police and doctors, we can make Tamil Nadu the largest contributor of cadaver organs. We are ready to help not only by sensitising the people but also in assisting organ transportation,” he said.

Mr. Rajendran was speaking after flagging off a motorcycle rally, organised by the Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network (MOHAN) Foundation, to promote organ donation at the Loyola College.

He said awareness on the laws pertaining to cadaver organ donation and transplant would be created among the personnel at the police station level. “We will soon be circulating copies of the Human Organ Transplant Act to all police stations in Chennai. The certification of an official in the rank of an Inspector is required for cadaver organ transplant.”

Managing Trustee of MOHAN Foundation Sunil Shroff said the spurt in cadaver organ donation activity in the State had inspired volunteers of the foundation to undertake the motorcycle rally that would cover 2,000 km, covering 10 places.

He said the foundation had facilitated 400 of the total 1,400 cadaver organ transplants in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh since 2000. He pointed out that one organ donor could save over nine lives. The first successful kidney transplant and multi-organ transplant in the country was done in Tamil Nadu. The State stood ahead of others in eye donation, he said.

J. Amalorpavanathan, transplant coordinator, Cadaver Transplant Programme, Tamil Nadu, said 120 cadaver organ donations were recorded in the last one year. If the number could be increased to 300 a year, illegal or commercial transplants could be eradicated. “If 500 organ donations can be achieved per year, even genuine cases [like a parent donating to son or daughter] can be avoided.”

Loyola College Principal Rev. A. Albert Muthumalai also spoke. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M. Shakeel Akhter and Joint Commissioner of Police (Central) V.A. Ravikumar were present.