Organ transplant: more demand, less supply
KOCHI: While the number of patients eligible for renal transplantations is mounting, organ supply is still largely inadequate. The issue was addressed at the National Conference of Urological Society of India (USICON 2020) which concluded here the other day.‘For addressing the kidney disease burden, the country needs action in two simultaneous fronts. Firstly, preventive action and early identification of kidney disease and secondly evolve and implementing comprehensive plans to increase the deceased (cadaver) donation rate,” said Dr Sunil Shroff, noted urologist and transplant surgeon.
Health sectors of both centre and states, public and private sector hospitals, non-government organisations and voluntary associations need to spread awareness and take pro-active steps to improve the donation rate and take care of organ shortage, he said.Globally, chronic kidney disease claims about 735,000 lives every year. In India, an estimated 220,000 people with end-stage renal disease require kidney transplantation. However, currently, only around 7,500 kidney transplantations are performed at 250 kidney transplant centres in India. Of these, roughly 90 per cent come from living donors and 10 per cent from deceased donors.
India, currently, has a robust living kidney transplantation programme, the second-largest program in numbers after the USA. Transplantation from the deceased donation (brain death) has been made possible after the passing of the Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994.
“Deceased or brain death donation is the most feasible option, where we have to make headway. A 10 per cent donation from deceased patients can nullify the requirement of the donation from living persons. An effective deceased donation programme would not only help kidney transplants but also meet the needs of liver, heart, pancreas, and lung transplants,” he said.More than 100 international and 600 national faculties led other key sessions. The four-day conference was attended by around 2500 delegates from all over India and abroad.