HOSUR ROAD: Every few days, Bengaluru hears about traffic being stopped to help the movement of organs for transplant.
Dr Devi Shetty, who pioneered budget heart surgery, is happy with the development, and says awareness is spreading.
In an interview with City Express, he spoke about the increase in donations in Bengaluru, describing it as a welcome trend.
What do you think of the increase in organ donations and transplants?
Families coming forward to donate organs is a good development. The state government is also becoming proactive in creating a framework for the donation of organs. The Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK) has done a great job of maintaining neutrality and lending credibility to the process.
Recently, a city hospital refused to release the body of an organ donor because the family was not able to pay the hospital bills. Do families feel the pressure of hefty bills eases when they donate a dead relative’s organs?
Certain sensitivities have to be addressed. Hospitals have to understand the sentiments of the bereaved family. They must not pressure the family into donating organs, and if there is a genuine problem they must help them. At Narayana Hrudayalaya, we do not really have a standard protocol for such situations. If the patient dies, we produce the bill and no questions are asked if the family cannot pay. We do not have a policy of holding the body. We do not hound the family.
The ZCCK and State Government are making the process of organ donation smooth. Will this practice continue?
The ZCCK is notified of brain deaths by hospitals. There has been a rapid rise in the last month in organ donations. Heart, lung, liver, kidney and all other organ transplants are going up. The government will soon make it mandatory for hospitals to notify the ZCCK of all brain deaths. There were three transplants within a week at Narayana Hrudayalaya. This will only increase, I feel.
What explains the trend?
The Tamil Nadu government took an active role in promoting organ donations. Karnataka followed suit and the trend will encourage other states also. Most states do not have a zonal co-ordination committee. Every state must encourage organ donation and follow the process.