Aim is to make organ donation a public movement: Minister

The Department of Health and Family Welfare is trying to make the organ donation programme a public movement, to save more lives, Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar said.

“The State’s deceased donor programme is alive because of donor families. They make a decision to donate the organs of their loved ones at a time of grief to save the lives of at least seven persons,” he said, at a programme organised by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) to felicitate donor families on Thursday.

Noting that donations were not merely about numbers, he said the main aim of cadaver transplant programme was to save the lives of patients, who are on the wait list for organs. He pointed out TRANSTAN was transparent and organs were allocated only on seniority basis. “No other State provides up to ₹25 lakh for heart and lung transplants in the country. This is being provided under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme,” he added.

R. Kanthimathy, member secretary of TRANSTAN said the State had the maximum utilisation of organs donated. “The website of the Tamil Nadu Network for Organ Sharing is regularly updated. We have brought in a lot of changes so that it reflects the actual waitlist,” she said.

Awards presented

With 19 deceased donors from November 2017 to October 2018, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGHGH) received the award for the best hospital from TRANSTAN. Among private hospitals, Velammal Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Madurai received the award. It had 14 donors.

Appreciation awards were presented to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital for the first bilateral hand transplant, to Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for the biomaterial centre, to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for initiating the programme and registering its first donor this year and to Government Rajaji Medical College Hospital, Madurai for its first successful heart transplant. Senior transplant surgeons and transplant coordinators were felicitated. TRANSTAN also released its annual book on the occasion.

N. Rukmani, director of medical services, A. Edwin Joe, director of medical education and R. Jayanthi, dean of RGGGH were present.