More celebs to create awareness on organ donation

5,309 patients in state are on the waitlist
Image used for representational purpose for organ donation.
Image used for representational purpose for organ donation.

BENGALURU: There is a huge gap between the number of people who have donated organs and the waiting list of patients for organs. As many as 5,309 patients in the state are on the waitlist. Surprisingly, families of 43 braindead people who are eligible for organ donation, declined to donate organs in 2020, 32 families declined in 2021, and this year, three families have declined, according to sources in the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation of Karnataka (SOTTO).

Concerned over the disparity, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr K Sudhakar is planning to rope in more celebrities to increase awareness on organ donation, since cadaveric organ donations have picked up after actor Sanchari Vijay set an example, as have eye donations after Puneeth Rajkumar’s death.

According to Lijamol Joseph, chief transplant coordinator, SOTTO (formerly known as Jeevasarthakathe) of the State health department, families of as many as 105 brain-dead people donated organs (cadaveric organ donation) in the financial year April 2019-March 2020. But due to the Covid pandemic, there were no cadaveric donations by families from April 2020 to July 2020. From August 2020 to March 2021, there were 28 cadaveric donations. From April 2021 to March 2022, there were 91 cadaveric organ donations, despite the Covid second and third waves.

There were 24 cadaveric organ donations from April 2021 to June 2021, but after Sanchari Vijay’s death, there were 26 cadaveric organ donations from July 2021 to October 2021, and 41 cadaveric donations after Puneeth Rajkumar’s death. So far, 9,702 people have pledged at SOTTO to donate organs in case of brain death, with 751 pledging after Sanchari Vijay’s death, and 8,431 pledging their organs after Puneeth’s donation.

Yet, as many as 4,065 people are waiting for kidneys, 1,069 people are waiting for liver, 87 people are waiting for heart, 32 are waiting for lungs, 21 are waiting for heart and lungs, 19 are waiting for liver and kidney said Lijamol.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com