Just 1 Jeevandan at Osmania

Hyderabad: Of the 35 people who have donated organs to the Jeevandan scheme of the government, only one donation was utilised by the Osmania General Hospital, while other government hospitals have been struggling due to lack of coordinators, equipment and also proper sensitisation among the head of the departments to motivate their staff.

In OGH, two brain dead cases are identified every day, but due to lack of a full-time coordinator, it is not possible to counsel the patient’s family and motivate them to opt for organ harvesting.

At the same time, the machinery required to keep the brain dead patient alive, by ensuring that his vital organs do not fail, is not available with government hospitals.

This lacuna is not allowing the government hospitals to popularise their own scheme, in their own hospitals, which is becoming a cause of concern for the senior government doctors.

Dr Chandrahekar, superintendent of Gandhi Hospital said, “We need to sit up and accept it as a challenge, as of these 35 donors, not a single recipient has been from Gandhi Hospital.

This trend is already raising questions about the ability of the government doctors to carry out transplants which are not true.

With the network of the government hospitals and strengthening of the communication system it can go a long way in spreading the word about organ donation and also that the facility is available in government hospitals.”

Principal secretary, health and family welfare, Ajay Sawhney has also asked the director of health and medical education to carry out the “gap analysis” as the network of teaching hospitals plays an important role in spreading the message of organ donation.

The government doctors also urged that induction therapy, which is the protocol for organ transplantation, must be made a part of Aarogyasri Healthcare as it will go a long way in popularising the scheme and also effectively allowing for transplants.