Behind the rise is a gradual shift in public perception, shaped by sustained awareness efforts, measures to build confidence, and trust and improvements in the State’s transplant infrastructure and systems. From seven deceased donor organ donations in its first year, to 266 in a single year, Tamil Nadu has come a long way in 17 years.
J. A few coordinated brain death certifications were happening sporadically, with MOHAN Foundation [an NGO] coordinating around two to three such cases a year in a few city hospitals. The State government had decided to start the Cadaver Transplant Programme (CTP), and the groundwork began in April. Compared with other States, awareness about organ donation was far higher in Tamil Nadu. At a recent press conference on a heart transplant in a young patient with Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Rajeev Thilak Chellasamy, heart transplant surgeon at SIMS Hospital, Chennai, elaborated on DCD. He noted that India has a long waiting list for transplants, and has traditionally relied on donations following brain death, while DCD was not ethically approved in the country. DCD numbers have increased in North America. If considered, it is a viable opportunity to increase the pool of donor hearts. Dr.
Shroff called for establishing green corridors in hospitals for seamless integration of organ donation processes so that there are no missed opportunities. Amalorpavanathan, founder-member secretary, Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu, said, “When we started in 2008, the concept of brain death was scarcely understood among healthcare professionals. We went on to issue 10 government orders. It was in September that year that the parents of 15-year-old Hithendran (who had sustained severe injuries in a road accident and was declared brain dead) decided to donate his organs. The CTP was launched in October 2008, and Hithendran’s case helped organ donation pick up in the State. Unpublished data from a major transplant centre showed that the acceptance rate was 70 to 75% after the first counselling and increased by another 10% following the second counselling, a senior doctor noted. In DCD, the practice of which has been around for nearly 10 to 15 years, the heart is connected to a perfusion system.
The number of people dying while on the waiting list has increased and this needs to be addressed, he said. Similarly, every hospital should have nodal officers in place, he said.
