At PGI, wait for kidney transplant may stretch up to 8 years

Speaking at the event, Dr Ashish Sharma, head of the department of renal transplant surgery, said more than 80,000 patients are listed for kidney transplant on the national registry of organ transplant

Around 6,000 kidney failure patients, awaiting transplant from outside the family, are currently on the waitlist at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) due to difficulty in finding a match. What’s more shocking is that the average wait time for such patients may stretch up to eight years.

80,000 patients are listed for kidney transplant on the national registry of organ transplant. (HT File)

This was revealed during a training programme on deceased (cadaveric) organ donation, titled ‘Continuum - The Continuity of Life’, organised by the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation North (ROTTO-N) and PGIMER on Thursday.

Speaking at the event, Dr Ashish Sharma, head of the department of renal transplant surgery, said more than 80,000 patients are listed for kidney transplant on the national registry of organ transplant. For other organs too, the wait list is almost the same. For kidney failure patients, a longer waiting period means a constant battle for survival while also dealing with the mounting financial burden due to treatment costs and other challenges.

Dr Sharma said that although the number of transplants has increased over the years, the long waiting list continues to remain a challenge. He added that around 9,000 patients had been registered in PGIMER’s kidney transplant waiting registry over the years. Of these, approximately 3,000 had undergone transplants, while 6,000 are still awaiting suitable donors.

Of all the government hospitals in Chandigarh, PGIMER is the only institution currently carrying out organ transplants. The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has a licence for organ retrieval but does not perform transplants, while the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, carries out neither organ retrieval nor transplantation.

Better identification of donors, timely action needed

To fill the gap, Dr Sharma called for strengthening the organ donation and transplant programme through better identification of potential donors, timely certification of brain-stem death and improved coordination between hospitals for organ retrieval and transplantation.

ROTTO-N nodal officer Dr Vijay Tadia said Thursday’s training programme aimed to strengthen the preparedness of resident doctors and nursing officers and translate their knowledge into action.

The family of Surinder Kaur, a youngster whose family consented to donating her organs after she was declared brain dead, was felicitated during the event. Her uncle, Jaspal Singh, said, “It is a noble cause that our daughter was able to save lives even when her own couldn’t be. We hope more such programmes can be organised at the village and town levels to make everyone aware of the noble cause of organ donation.”

Meanwhile, PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal shared a personal story. “My maternal uncle underwent a heart transplant and he lived 15 years after. So I know what a transplant means. I thank these families who have gone out of the way to rise above their grief. This movement of organ donation and transplant has been possible due to these families who saved many lives. We will try to take this movement to the village panchayats and gurudwaras where people can learn about organ donation and transplant.”