Non-transplant hospitals can now get a temporary licence for organ retrieval under the deceased donor programme of Tamil Nadu. The State’s transplant authority has started to give a push to Non-Transplant Organ Retrieval Centres (NTORC) to boost the programme, including at the district level.
This year, Transtan has recorded five donations at three NTORCs, including a private hospital in the city. Of this, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital at Tiruchi has contributed three donors, while there was one donor each at two private hospitals in Chennai and Tirunelveli, according to data available with Transtan.
Under this, a hospital with 25 beds, an operation theatre and intensive care unit can be recognised as a NTORC.
“In this concept, a hospital need not have a transplant team. If they diagnose a brain-dead patient, the head of the hospital, whether government or private, can inform Transtan and seek a temporary licence for organ retrieval from the Director of Medical Services, who is the Appropriate Authority, via email. Whenever an NTORC identifies a brain dead patient, they apply for temporary licence,” said R. Kanthimathy, member secretary of Transtan.
Empanelled doctors
Only government doctors or empanelled doctors can certify brain death, she said. “In case of a private hospital, Transtan along with the appropriate authority will take steps to send empanelled/government doctors from the respective zone to go to the hospital and certify brain death. We suggest two doctors — neurosurgeon/neurologist/intensivist/anaesthetist — for brain death certification,” she added.
Once this temporary licence is issued, Transtan starts the process of organ allocation. The retrieval teams would go to the NTORC to retrieve the respective organs.
“The objective of NTORCs is to boost the deceased donor programme even at the district level where there might not be adequate facilities for transplant units. This is picking up this year and hospitals have started to show interest.” Ms. Kanthimathy added.
“The Government Vellore Medical College Hospital is also in the process of functioning as NTORC,” she said.
