Human organ bank on the anvil

Committee formed to study the feasibility of implementing the proposal

Medical Education Minister S.A. Ramdas on Thursday mooted the idea of setting up a human organ bank on the lines of a tissue bank for the benefit of the people.

Announcing this at a programme organised by the Institute of Nephro-Urology to mark World Kidney Day, the Minister said a three-member committee, headed by the director of the Institute of Nephro-Urology, would be set up to study the feasibility of implementing the proposal.

“I have already discussed the issue with the Union Health Ministry and will again meet them this month-end to discuss the proposal and take it forward. The committee will study its feasibility and submit its report within ten days so that it can be included in this year's State Budget,” Mr. Ramdas said.

Amendment

Pointing out that lack of awareness and delay by hospitals in certifying brain death has affected cadaveric organ transplants in the State, the Minister said the committee would also report on how the Transplantation of Human Organs Act can be modified to facilitate and simplify the administrative procedures of cadaveric organ donations.

For simple procedures

Asserting the need for a rethink of a public policy on organ donation, the Minister said speedy conduct of simple police procedures such as ‘mahazar' (inspection of the body) and harvesting of the organs in the hospital where the patient is declared brain-dead would facilitate more cadaveric donations.

Earlier, the Minister flagged off a stretcher-fitted electric cart to carry patients from within the Victoria Hospital campus to the Institute of Nephro-Urology. He also launched the institute's pilot project of peritoneal (home) dialysis for 25 patients.

Institute director G.K. Venkatesh said the electric cart, donated by the Association of Physicians of India (API), would be of great help to patients who have to be wheeled into the institute. “As the roads are bad, patients on wheelchairs or stretchers always have a bumpy ride, which affects their health all the more,” he said.

Last year, the institute had treated more than 46,000 outpatients. While 8,002 surgical procedures were preformed, more than 12,000 patients had undergone dialysis last year, he said.

D. Ramesh, secretary of Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK) for Organ Transplantation, spoke on the importance of organ donations.

Of the 700-odd persons registered with the ZCCK for organ transplants, more than 674 are awaiting kidney donations, he said.

API chairperson Shivalingappa and API building committee chairperson M. Maiya, apart from Medical Education Secretary K.H. Gopalkrishne Gowda, also spoke.