One of the contentious and hotly debated issues of organ donation needs to be looked in perspective and given importance with increasing changes in people’s lifestyle—this appeared to be the common view of Urologists assembled for 48th Annual Conference of Urological Society of India being organised at Ranchi.
City-based urologists also believe that the time has come for intervention at all level as the largest ever conference of its kind has provided the right direction to the hotly debated issue of cadaver organ donation among many other aspects of the urology disorders. The cadaver organ donation—taking out usable organs out of a dead body—has been pegged as the most effective way to counter the invisible and unethical organ trade which has been thriving near hospitals specialised in organ transplant especially kidney transplant.
Ironically, Jharkhand is still miles behind southern States on Kidney donation as hundreds of patients rush to the southern and western part of India for organ transplant. Experts also held the view that lack of awareness, absence of legislation is behind still lukewarm response to donation of organs except eye donation.
“The issue is the donation from blood relations only and Government needs to relax rules for cadaver donation which is answer to the need of organ for dying patient. We need to make people aware and make them voluntarily opt for donation. We need an organ bank in Jharkhand but before that we also need to train everyone related to the profession and also create infrastructure. This conference will act as an eye opener for administration, bureaucracy and public as well,” said member of the Jharkhand Chapter of USI, Dr MK Senapati.
The significance of donation is accentuated by the fact that kidney patients know about the fatality of the disease only reaching to the point where transplant remains only option. The USI’s Jharkhand chapter has vowed to include public awareness and pushing for legislative intervention among its agenda which could bring respite to those who have to head southwards to Jharkhand for treatment of renal failure.
“We need organ bank in Jharkhand like it is available in metropolitan cities but before that we need to educate people and make them understand the importance of organ donation,” maintained Dr Senapati. The debate has been put to rest in most of the southern States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu incidentally the two States known for kidney transplant besides other major metropolitan cities across India.
Nonetheless, doctors say there is lot more need to be done on pan-India basis for promoting the benevolent service to humanity given the paradigm shift in the lifestyle of people where hypertension, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases takes its toll on kidneys. The USI has approached the Medical Council of India to inculcate the expertise of organ donation from the beginning so that a force can be created to kickstart cadaver donation activities when the legislation comes into effect.
“Through the council we are trying to introduce organ donation in the curriculum and for that we have written letters to the MCI. First we have to inculcate organ donation expertise in the doctors and then we will go to lay people where media becomes important and legislation comes later. Unfortunately, organ donation has never been on the priority of government agencies involved in healthcare system and lack of awareness is another reason for problems of organ availability. It is important to intervene as change in life style increases risk on organs,” said Secretary of USI, Dr D Ramesh.
Experts on urological diseases emphasized on tweaking the Motor Vehicle Act to include preference for organ donation and an effort in that direction is likely to be made by the USI through different forums and representations to the central government. Incidentally, the five day conference of urologists will focus on enriching experience of doctors and also promoting knowledge of other urological disorders.