'Awareness must to raise cadaver organ donations'

MUMBAI: To boost the number of cadaver organ donations in the state, there is a need for the state government, NGOs and private hospitals to create mass public awareness. The awareness should also be accompanied with infrastructure development in smaller cities and towns to increase the rate of organ donations, said experts at a round-table discussion on organ donation organised by The Times of India in association with Kokilaben Ambani Hospital last week.
Organ donations by deceased or cadaveric donors have been rising slowly over the years, but the number of patients with organ failure has been increasing due to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.
In 2018, cadaver donations in Maharashtra allowed 363 people to undergo life-saving transplants. However, the demand-supply gap meant that merely 6% of registered patients got an organ. Worryingly, Mumbai saw a negative growth with merely 48 donations as against 58 a year before.
The round-table also discussed the importance of donor pledge cards. Experts pointed out that often relatives of a prospective donor don't give consent despite the donor having a pledge card, thereby reducing the importance of pledge cards. State medical education minister Girish Mahajan too said that donor cards are overflowing in government offices, but only a few have translated into donations. Dr Ram Narain, executive director of Kokilaben Hospital, however, said donor cards could convey to the family of the person's last wish. "It can also help start conversations around organ donation in a family," he said.
He further said that while creating awareness about cadaveric organ donation among the public is important, there also is a need to create awareness about it within the medical fraternity. There are many super specialists who don't understand the nuances of organ donation. "There is a need to spread awareness in hospitals too," said Dr Narain.