HYDERABAD: In Telangana, close to one lakh people are suffering from kidney diseases. Of them, at least 10,000 are in end-stage renal disease, said experts. Most of the patients who are in need of a kidney enroll with State government’s Jeevandan Cadaver Transplant programme.Currently, a total of 1,963 persons who registered with Jeevandan, are waiting for kidney. Under cadaver transplantation programme, organs are harvested after a person is declared brain-dead.Government officials said after registration, a person has to wait for anywhere between one to two years to get a kidney and waiting period also depends on blood group of recipient. From 2013, till date, a total of 822 kidneys were donated under the Jeevandan programme.
Dr Manisha Sahay, head of Nephrology department in Osmania General Hospital, said in more than 70 per cent of cases, donors are women (mothers and sisters) and most of the recipients are men.While private hospital doctors have said that the waiting time to get kidney can be cut down if swapping of organs between unrelated couples is allowed, as done for B Mallaiah and B Raju, experts said that it can open can of worms as women might be harassed and coerced into donating their kidneys.
The Human Organ Transplantation Act (Amendment) Act-2011 is yet to be adopted by State government. Until the Act is adopted, every case of swap renal transplantation will be dealt with by an authorised committee. “In most of the cases, it is mothers and wives who are donors. And in some cases, men cannot ask their women family members to donate their kidney when their blood groups do not match. If the Act is adopted, then there is a chance for women to be harassed to donate their organs,”said experts, who did not want to be quoted.