Big push for organ donation on the cards in Haryana

CMO INITIATIVE State govt to launch a major drive in Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak and Panchkula

CHANDIGARH: Both rich Indians and foreigners prefer Gurugrambased super speciality private hospitals for kidney and liver transplant.

However, in spite of rising figures of organ transplants, the number of patients anxiously waiting for kidney and liver transplants is more than the available donors.

For example, every year near 10,000 people need organ transplantation in Haryana. However, there are just 500 donors. This means only 5% of the demand for organs is being fulfilled in Haryana, as per government records.

As per official figures, private hospitals in Gurugram are leading with 612 organs, including kidney (322), liver (280) and cornea (10) transplanted in 2018. The beneficiaries include 425 Indians and 187 foreigners.

“The government-run hospitals in the state don’t have expertise and facilities to retrieve and transplant organs at present. PGI Rohtak will shortly have this facility,” a top government functionary said.

Now, in his second innings, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has decided to launch a multi-pronged “mass movement” on organ donation in Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak and Panchkula where private hospitals are equipped for transplantation.

This drive is being launched on the lines of the Beti-bachaobeti Padhao which the BJP government had launched in its previous term. The ‘donate organs, save lives’ campaign will be monitored by the CMO. The key objective of the drive is to harvest organs from the victims of brain deaths and make them available to poor patients too.

Experts behind the Beti-bachao-beti Padhao scheme will monitor donate organ campaign.

According to Khattar, Haryana has immense potential to save lives through organ donation and transplantation. Howvia ever, he admits that the awareness amongst citizens is low.

“The state government is committed to saving lives through this people-led movement. The citizens will be motivated to donate organs. This is just the beginning,” Khattar said.

The BJP-JJP coalition government that had assumed office in last week of October 2019 on January 17 rolled out the programme

by sensitising deputy commissioners of four districts and directing them to hold “kick-off meetings.”

“…CM has noticed that there is poor awareness about organ donation and transplantation in the state…he has desired that massive awareness programmes should be started at all levels…,” Dr Rakesh Gupta, project director, CM’S Good Governance

Associates (CMGGA) programme, told the DCS.

Gurugram and Faridabad districts have already organised two workshops on January 24. On Monday, Rohtak district held the first workshop and on Tuesday Panchkula administration will launch the campaign.

Government sources say either Khattar or senior officers are likely to address all the DCS

video conference about this programme on Wednesday.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Amit Khatri also held a meeting on January 21 with representatives of leading NGOS dealing with organ transplantation and doctors of multi-specialty hospitals.

“We are carrying forward the CM’S vision of saving lives through organ donation and transplantation in four districts. After successful responses in these districts, we plan to scale this across the state very soon,” Dr Gupta said.

Lack of awareness, misconceptions and myths, inadequate facilities, poor enforcement of organ transplantation law and poor monitoring of organ donation and transplantation are five key challenges the government has identified in implementing this move.

To overcome these challenges the government has planned to launch Iec—information, Education and Communication.

While programmes like radio shows on success stories and donor families will be launched, the celebrities will be roped in and success stories publicised across all platforms.

“The deputy commissioners (DCS) will have to actively work with relevant stakeholders and ensure that awareness is increased at all levels in the district,” Khattar said.

As per official records, Haryana can help at least 36,000 patients awaiting organ transplant. Because of the total 1.8 lakh deaths in the state, about 6,000 are brain deaths due to accidents.

Every brain dead person can donate at least six organs.

A retired doctor, who is monitoring the project, said the objective is to increase cadaver donations over live donations and also help poor patients.

“So far, only people having money could afford organ transplantation,” he said. “This is a new beginning. We have started it from the scratch but it will bear fruits.”

The government-run hospitals in the state don’t have expertise and facilities to retrieve and transplant organs at present. PGI Rohtak will shortly have this facility.

A top government functionary