Visakhapatnam: While the King George Hospital has been accorded permission for kidney transplants under the Jeevandan Cadaver Transplantation Programme, authorities are unable start it right away, much to the disappointment of the underprivileged. The reason being, the hospital has not yet got a clarification from the state government if the state would bear the surgery expenses or the patient.
As private hospitals charge a hefty amount for organ transplants, many of the underprivileged who were suffering from irreversible ailments like kidney failure had been anxiously looking to the government-run hospitals to meet their transplantation needs. When asked about the progress of the cadaver kidney transplantation, after getting the nod from the Jeevandan panel, KGH Superintendent G Arjuna said, “Before executing the organ transplants, we have to streamline the procedure such as who would bear the expenses incurred from the surgery; whether it would be the government or the patient. The average cost for a kidney transplant was Rs 2-2.5 lakhs. So, we are formulating a policy that will set the rules and guidelines for the cadaver transplants.”
“Besides, we have to also see what procedures need to be followed when a donated cadaver organ is being transported from one hospital to other, as and when the need arose. Eventually, the registration procedure for organ transplants had to be transparent. Within a month, we will come up with the policy. We will urge the government to bring the cadaver transplant under the ambit of the NTR Vaidya Seva Scheme,” he added.
The hospital will recruit a Transplant Coordinator and a Grief Counsellor before beginning the cadaver transplants. “The counsellor will have to convince the families to donate the kidney of a loved one at a time when they were grief-stricken. The role of the counsellor is very important to make this initiative a success at such a delicate time,” he added.
