Govt launches scheme to encourage organ transplantation

A kidney transplant at Apollo hospital, Chennai. File Photo

In an effort to promote and streamline the process of organ donation to help hundreds of needy patients, the Andhra Pradesh government has launched a unique scheme and issued a comprehensive set of guidelines for its effective functioning.

‘Jeevandan’, a comprehensive scheme that would cover various aspects relating to declaration of brain death, infrastructure, coordination and public awareness for organ transplantation was announced by the government keeping in view the low rate of transplantations in AP.

“Despite the elapse of 14 years since the passing of the Act (for organ transplantation in the state) and rules by the Legislature and Government, the number of transplantations occurring in Andhra, especially “cadaver transplantations” have not increased significantly, primarily because of lack of a centralised coordination mechanism and the absence of a streamlined procedure for facilitating and regulating it on an end-to-end basis,” a government order issued here said.

Highlighting that the success of scheme depends on sharing real-time information about the availability of organs and allocating them to the needy patients, the government said a portal --www.jeevandan.org -- would be set up for the purpose.

Noting that effective functioning of ‘Jeevandan’ scheme depends substantially on the portal, the government said its salient features include -- receiving applications of hospitals for registration as Non-Transplantation Organ Harvesting Centres (NTOHC) and Organ Transplantation Centres (OTC), receiving applications for registration with the AP Network for Organ Sharing (APNOS) by OTCs and NTOHCs.

The government has also laid down a slew of procedures for running the portal effectively. It has mandated that the Director of Information and Public Relations should undertake an extensive campaign for promoting the ‘Jeevandan’ scheme among the public.

The other innovative aspects of the scheme include appointment of Transplantation Coordinators and professional counsellors for its efficient implementation.

The hospitals (both NTOHCs and OTCs) shall have a full-time transplantation coordinator who should be able to handle the situation arising out of the donation and transplantation, the government order said.

Besides, the hospitals should also appoint professional counsellors to motivate the relatives of the deceased persons to take a decision in favour of organ donation.